Irony In The Apple
by krp101
Summary: The final part of the 'Adventure Continues' trilogy is upon us! A story that only 'Bolt' could bring to life, and the last puzzle piece for all fans of our favorite superdog! Happy Reading! Rated T for language and some moderate violence.
1. All the President's Dogs

Oh My God! As I type this, my fingers feel like they're vibrating. Do you know why? Because this is it… this is where the final piece of the 'Adventure Continues' trilogy takes form. And this is what you guys will be seeing from me as what will hopefully be my best work yet! This is Part 3, this is a story of secrets, a story of love, a story of surprise, heartache, suspense, reunion, and above all… irony. I welcome one and all to the Big Kahuna. It is… 'Irony in the Apple'!

A/N: I do not own Bolt or any of its characters. All characters, besides the ones I've already created, are the property of Disney and its subsidiaries.

**All the President's Dogs**

When we last saw the family and friends of Bolt, they were all dispersing and starting their own lives, whether they were with new mates, new families, or new careers. And then there were some that were just starting over. A perfect example of that would be Bolt, the White American Shepherd we all know and love, and his mate, Mittens, a black tuxedo cat with white patches on all four of her feet. Their kids had moved on and moved out; Nova started a new life with her mate, Trigger, alongside GGE, that same company dedicated to genetic enhancement in animals. Even with the new lifestyle, the two of them do their best to stay in touch with Bolt and Mittens, and are also still living with the man who saved Trigger's life, Allen. Seth, the tabby that had been given to the dog and cat to raise as their own child, also has his own life about 20 miles away from them with his real mother.

And then there's 'The Phantom Five'! Well…. four now! The mellow loss of Carson has had no effect on any members of the group. Eli and Beverly still live in Bakersfield; their kids are still 'The California Canines'; Preston and Simone live in Northern California, in a small city called Redding, with their new owners.

Kurt and GGE are growing as a very successful business, with the help of Nova, Trigger, Allen, and 'The California Canines'.

Well…. that was one year ago. And the ENTIRE group (save for 'The California Canines') is now attending Penny's high school graduation. Everyone; and I mean EVERYONE is there. Actually… not everyone. Bolt and Mittens are sitting in the far bleachers of the auditorium with Catherine, Seth, Kurt and the rest of the gang conversing back and forth as they wait for Penny and the rest of her class to enter the giant stadium.

"Whoa! I can't believe this many people come to a ceremony about a bunch of kids leaving a building and never plan on coming back." Mittens said as she looked around the room.

"I know right." Bolt said looking around as well. His mind seemed to be somewhere else, and Mittens honestly didn't blame him due to who wasn't there with them. The black cat brushed against his shoulder and closed her eyes.

"Mittens." Bolt said leaning his head downwards and resting it on top of hers.

"I wish he was here to see this." Mittens said sighing a little.

"Me too, baby." Bolt said back. The missing person they speak of?... Rhino! About a month earlier, Rhino passed away. Unfortunately, the average normal life span of a hamster is about 3 years, and Rhino managed to surpass that by more than 9 months. He lived a full and happy life, but at some point, it had to come. Some people believe that the best way to die is in their sleep; for others, it's living for the moment, like skydiving. As for Rhino, his death was as memorable as his life: be-awesome. The small hamster, knowing his last day was upon him, asked Bolt to place him in his ball, and take him to a remote part of the mountain ranges near their home, and leave him there. Whatever happened up there will forever remain a mystery! But it doesn't matter. He was with them in spirit.

"Are you guys okay?" Eli asked from the seat behind them.

"Yeah, we're okay. Just thinking about 'you know who'." Bolt said with a small smile on his face. Eli smiled back, feeling their pain.

"I miss him too." Eli said

"We all do." Beverly said from the seat right next to Eli. Alongside her were Preston, Simone, Nova, Trigger, Kurt, and Seth, who was sitting in Kurt's lap. It wasn't the same not having Rhino there to see the spectacle with them; however, this wasn't a day to mourn; it was one to celebrate.

"He's here, though." Eli said still smiling. Bolt and Mittens looked back and mirrored the same smile.

"Honey, are you sure we should've left the kids back in Redding?" Preston asked Simone getting a little worried.

"I'm sure. We'll be back tonight anyway, and they live at the rest home now. The staff will take care of them. Have a little faith, sweetheart!" Simone answered as she nuzzled Preston's neck.

'Let me guess; first time away from the kids?" Eli asked

"Is it that obvious?" Preston asked

"Preston, they're 7 months old. I think they can take care of themselves." Beverly said pleading with Preston to calm down a little.

"Can I help it if I worry?" Preston asked again, coming back at them with his own argument.

"Spoken like a true parent." Eli said with a wide smile, to which Preston just rolled his eyes at and looked away. Since Simone had given birth, Preston had been so afraid of becoming a parent. And even though he'd done a fantastic job in raising them alongside Simone, his paternal instinct was still constantly going off. All 5 of them had the choice of becoming adopted, but decided to stick together as siblings and work with the elderly at their local senior center. It was a line of work that consisted of just being good company to people who needed it, and even that seemed to be too much of responsibility to Preston. It was just a typical case of a father trying to keep his kids from growing up.

"**Ladies and Gentlemen! I present to you the graduating class of 2012!" **said the announcer as all 340 students, including Penny, walked along the aisles of chairs to find their seats. Bolt and Mittens watched on as Penny appeared near the end of the line.

"There she is!" Preston said pointing his paw towards the end of the auditorium, where Penny was entering her row. Catherine pulled out her camera as quickly as she could, started snapping photos, one after another.

"Uh, you have all the time in the world to take pictures today." Preston said watching her intently.

"You only graduate high school once." Catherine said as she continued to snap pictures of her daughter all the way to her designated seat, while Preston just shook his head with a small smile on his face.

"How long is this gonna last?" Seth asked

"As long as it has to." Bolt said not taking his eyes off of Penny.

"Wow. You're a real help!" Seth said back a little quieter. Bolt looked back at his son, and gave him a glare. Even though he was grown up, he could still be a pain sometimes.

"Smartass!" Bolt mumbled under his breath.

"I heard that!" Seth said in an annoyed tone.

"You were supposed to." Bolt said with the exact same tone as he looked back at his feline boy. The graduation ceremony didn't take that long at all; mainly consisting of the valedictorian's speech, the principal getting up and saying a few words, and the crossing of graduates. When Penny's name was called, her family let out their group of whistles, barks, howls, and one long shout from her boyfriend, Michael, who was sitting in the very front row.

"**Would all of the graduates please move their tassels to the left side of their caps?" **asked the principal, signaling that their high school careers were officially over.

"**My sincerest congratulations go out to you…The Class of 2012!" **shouted the principal once more, and in an instant, all the graduates threw their caps into the air, and the silly string went flying. Along with the students, the entire stadium erupted in a fury of cheers and shouts; it was everything you'd expect at a graduation. Within seconds, the class dispersed and went on to find their families. Eventually, Penny found her mom and the rest of her 'posse', and once again, the pictures went flashing.

"Okay, give me a second to fix my hair, Mom!" Penny said trying to rearrange her hair.

"Oh, you're fine, honey!"

"Yeah. Listen to your mother." Michael said as he walked up behind her and pulled her into a hug and a kiss, which she gladly returned. Suddenly, there was a flash of light in their faces, causing them to break their kiss and look over at the source of the flash. They saw Catherine putting her camera down after just taking a picture of them kissing.

"That's a keeper!" Catherine said smiling as she looked at Penny, who by now was blushing wildly. The graduation party went by about as quickly as the graduation ceremony, and before everyone knew it, it was 7:30, and time to wrap things up. All in all, Penny received about $400 in graduation money, along with a brand new camera and a mini-fridge for when she goes off to college. The last one to leave was Kurt, besides Trigger and Nova, who were asked to stay the night.

"Well, I suppose I'd better get going. I have a long day ahead of me tomorrow." Kurt said standing up.

"What's going on?" Nova asked.

"I have a conference to be at in Las Vegas tomorrow at 2:00pm. I officially have a board of directors to manage, so I have a lot on my plate." Kurt explained

"Hehe. Las Vegas! Good times, ehh Mittens?" Bolt asked playfully as he looked over at her.

"You're really lucky I didn't slap you across the face for leaving, Wags!" Mittens said trying not to smile; however, it wasn't exactly working. They were memories that needed to last.

"Oh, yeah! I heard about that little adventure you two took coming back to Los Angeles." Trigger said jumping in.

"You know? How?" Bolt asked. Trigger simply motioned his head to the side towards Nova, who was just smiling.

"How did YOU know?" Bolt asked again changing who he was speaking to.

"Well, you told me a lot of it. But it was Rhino who filled me in on just about every single little detail." Nova answered. Bolt and Mittens kept forgetting about the possible stories that Rhino had probably told her before he passed on. It was almost enough to make Mittens want to cry, but she held it in.

"Well, I'll see you all later." Kurt said walking out the front door.

"Bye, Kurt!" Penny said from the couch.

"Oh! I almost forgot!" Kurt said stepping back inside, and handing Penny a card.

"Awww. You didn't have to." Penny said taking the card from his hand.

"What? You just expected me to come without a gift? I don't think so!" Kurt said jokingly. Penny smiled and got up from her seat to give him a hug.

"Thank you, sweetheart!"

"Thank YOU!" Penny said. Kurt left soon afterwards, and the rest of the group went back to talking, save for Mittens, who COULDN'T talk due to a lack of genetic work. The chat went on for another hour and a half, with subjects like where Penny would attend college, whether or not she would come home for Thanksgiving, how often she would come home period, and what she was gonna spend her graduation money on. Well, her school of choice has been The University of California in Berkeley for the last year, and she WAS coming home for the holidays. As for the money…

"A tattoo?" Catherine asked in shock.

"Not a huge one. It's gonna be a lightning bolt on my ankle." Penny said trying to calm her mother down.

"I wonder where that came from." Bolt said sarcastically, with Mittens elbowing his side.

"Could you at least give it some more thought?" Catherine pleaded

"Okay, okay! If something else comes up that I want more, I'll get THAT instead." Penny said trying to find middle ground.

"Thank you… Well, did you ever open the card from Kurt?" Catherine asked trying to change the subject.

"No, but I might as well." Penny said reaching for the card on the coffee table. Trigger and Nova watched as she tore the edges of the envelope to reveal a shiny card. After reading the congratulatory cover, Penny opened it up to find a note, which she began reading out loud to everyone in the room.

_Penny,_

_ Over the last 2 years that I've gotten to know you and Bolt, I've learned a lot about what it really takes to be a hero. When Bolt saved me, I kept wondering where his courage came from, and that's what made me want to meet you. That kind of inner courage and strength is something that very few people, especially as you as you, ever obtain, and you should be very proud of yourself. As you move on to the next chapter in your life, that heroic character should continue to be recognized; moreover, I recently sent in a letter of recommendation to the dean of UCB. I explained all of the reasons in which you should be recognized as a model student, and he agreed 100%. So, if you can keep your grades at a certain level, he will extend a full-ride scholarship, covering tuition, room and board, and books. My recommendations go a long way! I wish you the best of luck on your journey._

_Best wishes,_

_ Kurt_

"Oh my God! Are you serious?" Penny asked out loud. Trigger and Nova's jaws were on the floor, while Bolt and Mittens were left wondering what all these words meant.

"What's going on?" Bolt asked his daughter.

"Penny just got a full scholarship."

"What does that mean?"

"It means she won't have to pay for college. It's already taken care of." Nova explained to her father. Bolt just nodded his head once and looked back at Penny.

"Wow! Penny, this is amazing!" Catherine said jumping out of her seat.

"I know! Now, I can get the tattoo and have money to spare." Penny said jumping just as high, with her mother just staring at her.

"I'm kidding." Penny said jokingly.

"Phew!"

"Sort of."

"What was that?"

"Nothing!"

Bolt and Mittens just laughed silently, while the rest of the family just enjoyed the moment. It wasn't that Penny didn't have money to spare, due to her former acting career. She had money saved up, but now, she could have a little fun with it.

"So, what's a tattoo?" Nova asked Bolt.

"Something you'll never get." Bolt said sternly.

"Honey, she's an animal." Mittens said moving the front half of her body in front of Bolt's leg, partially trying to hold him back. However, he came to his senses and backed down. It was a dad thing.

"Right, sorry." Bolt said settling back down.

"Seriously, what's a tattoo?" Nova asked again; this time towards Trigger.

"I'll tell you later." Trigger said trying to hold back a laugh. Nova just rolled her eyes, and placed her head down on her paw. Seconds later, Trigger laid his head on the back of her neck, causing her to smile. Bolt looked at the happy look on Nova's face, and smiled in response.

**(Two Days Later)**

It was about 9:00am, and Bolt was resting on the front porch, while Mittens continued to sleep inside. Penny was still asleep as well, wanting to catch a few extra hours in the morning now that school was over. The shepherd really had no plans for the day, except to just rest and relax. All of a sudden, the phone rang from inside the house. Within two rings, Catherine answered the phone and talked for a few minutes. Overcome with curiosity, Bolt walked through the pet door at the front of the house and walked into the kitchen.

"Okay, I'll let them know….Bye, Kurt!" Catherine said hanging up the phone and turning around.

"Oh, Bolt! I was just coming to find you." Catherine said reaching down to turn on his collar so that he could talk to her. Even though he could use the collar freely, he tried to make it a habit not to use it too much. He still wanted to have some sense of normality; however, Catherine seemed pretty desperate to speak to him.

"What's up?" Bolt asked

"That was Kurt on the phone. He's sending a limousine here to pick you and Mittens up." Catherine answered.

"Why?"

"I don't know. All he said was that it would be here in an hour, but he sounded pretty shook up." Catherine continued to explain. Bolt looked to the side and watched Mittens sleeping, wondering how he was gonna tell her, or HOW. He had no idea what was going on, and explaining it to Mittens was gonna be hard. The white dog walked towards their bed and nudged Mittens' side, trying to wake her up.

"Ngghh… What?" Mittens said turning in the bed.

"Mittens, wake up!" Bolt said softly. The black feline opened her eyes slowly, and got up to stretch.

"Is it really that important?" Mittens asker her mate, a little annoyed.

"I really hope so." Bolt answered; his facial expression showing signs of worry. Mittens could read that like a book, waking her up completely.

"What's wrong?" Mittens asked intently.

"I don't know. Kurt's sending us a limo in an hour."

"To go where?"

"Again, I don't know. But we really don't have a choice. We HAVE to go!"

"Ugh… Will these missions ever stop?"

"Hey! At least this time, they're giving us some notice." Bolt said referring to the very first night he was kidnapped. Mittens had to give him that one, but she and Bolt didn't want to be a part of GGE.

"They must really need us." Mittens said

"I guess we'll find out."

**End of Chapter**

This story is just getting off the ground, and I will definitely be one that'll have you glued to your screens waiting for chapter after chapter. I don't usually have this big of an ego, so it won't last. Anyway, I hope to hook a few new readers and reviewers, and I think you guys will like what I've got in store. I guess we'll find out, won't we?

Visso Gerro!


	2. Living Legacy

Welcome one and all to the making of Chapter 2. It's a great day to be a writer, and an even better day to be a fan of Bolt, because the plot of this story is about to take a crazy turn. I give 100% on every chapter that I put out, unless I'm having a crappy day, (then, I'd tell you. ) But this… ain't one of those times. Just like Bud Light: HERE WE GO!

A/N: I do not own Bolt or any of its characters. All characters are the property of Disney and its subsidiaries.

**Living Legacy**

The Limousine rolled alongside the front yard, and the driver stepped out to greet the group on the front step.

"Hello, everyone! My name is Mason, and I'm looking for Bolt and Mittens."

"That would be us!" Bolt said waving his paw upwards.

"Excellent. I assume Kurt filled you in." Mason said

"All he said was that you'd be here to pick us up, but he never said why." Bolt answered

"Well, I'm just the driver. But what I **do **know is that you're flight leaves at noon for Las Vegas. For whatever reason, he never mentioned." Mason explained. Bolt looked up at Penny as she got down to a lower level.

"If you need anything, please let me know." Penny said

"Thanks Penny." Bolt said smiling as she gently pulled him into a hug.

"You're a good boy… you're **my **good boy!" Penny said letting him go, and soon after, reaching for Mittens. The black cat was then pulled into a hug of her own.

"Both of you come home safe." Penny said

"We will!" Bolt said back before he and Mittens walked to the limousine, where the back door was opened for them to climb inside. Soon after, the two of them were off to Las Vegas. For what, exactly? No one knew. Kurt had chartered a small plane for the two of them at the airport, and took off as soon as they arrived. It was a 2-hour flight that gave them time to fill up their minds with questions, and hopefully get some answers soon after they touched down. What did Kurt want from them so badly? Was someone hurt? Did he get kidnapped again? There to meet them in the field was Kurt himself along with two other men that looked like body guards. Kurt had to have some heavy security around him, due to the growing success of GGE. That meant his popularity was growing and that more people knew who he was.

"What's going on, Kurt?" Bolt asked not wasting any time.

"I'll explain everything in the conference room." Kurt answered leading them through a few small hallways and up one set of stairs. As Kurt opened a door to a large room, he moved out of the way to let Bolt and Mittens go first, who were surprised at what they saw.

"What are you guys doing here?" Preston asked Bolt and Mittens from his spot on the floor. On the same side of his was Simone, Eli, Beverly, and Allen. On the other side of the room were Nova and Trigger, who were just as surprised to see them. Kurt left the door open, as well as his body guards outside the room.

"Dad!" Nova said shocked

"Nova, you're here too?" Bolt asked openly.

"You're all here for a reason." Kurt said jumping in before Nova had a chance to speak.

"Would you care to clarify?" Eli asked.

"I called all of you here because there's been a breach in GGE." Kurt said upfront.

"What do you mean a 'breach'?" Bolt asked

"I mean that someone, or a group of some ones has been stealing from the company. We're over $3,000,000 short of what we should be at, and we've done multiple background checks on our personnel. All of them check out, which means…."

"They don't work for GGE." Eli answered for Kurt.

"Correct! We have what's called an 'external embezzlement' on our hands. They don't work for us, but they're making money off of us." Kurt explained.

"When did this start happening?" Eli asked again.

"About 6 weeks ago. It started out with about $20,000 being 'misplaced', and then three days later, we were out over $1 million. Most of the money has been lost without a trace, except for a small amount of it… in New York City." Kurt finished. Mittens cringed at the thought of the city, having been declawed, forgotten, and left to fend for herself in it over the course of some time.

"Not the best memory I wanna look back on." Mittens said openly.

"New York?" Beverly asked

"Yeah. Remember the story of how we met?" Bolt asked the husky.

"Oh, right! Sorry." Beverly said a little embarrassed. Mittens simply shook her head as a sign that she didn't need to apologize. Because Mittens couldn't talk, it raised a few question for Kurt as he listened.

"What did I miss?" Kurt asked

"Ohh… Mittens is from New York City. That's where she was abandoned by her old family." Bolt explained

"Oh, Mittens. I'm so sorry. Had I known, I wouldn't have asked you to come." Kurt said. Mittens once again shook her head, giving him the same answer she gave to Beverly. It was in the past, but the memory tends to hurt from time to time.

"But you did ask for her to come. You asked for ALL of us to come, and you know that I have no genetic enhancement, and yet you still call for me. Now that I think about it, the only ones in this room that still work for you are Nova and Trigger. I'm sorry for sounding upset, Kurt; but, we don't work for GGE." Bolt said getting irritated.

"I understand that, but like I said earlier, you're here for a reason. That reason is because of this:" Kurt said as he pressed a button on a small remote that he had in his hands. Suddenly, a picture appeared on a projection screen. It showed a patch of white fur and nothing else.

"Is this supposed to mean something?" Bolt asked

"This tuft of fur was found outside one of the meeting places where the money was exchanged in New York two weeks ago. They used a dog to transfer the money; specifically…. a White American Shepherd." Kurt said. Bolt looked at Kurt with curiosity, and was about to say something when Beverly stepped in.

"Wait a minute! You'd better not be accusing Bolt of this." Beverly said with a stern voice as she rose to all four of her feet.

"Beverly, you'd better watch what you say!" Kurt said just as sternly.

"Then tell me I'm wrong, and I'll back down." Beverly said as she dug her claws into the carpet below. At one point, it looked like she was about to pounce.

"Bolt is innocent." Kurt said plainly. Beverly loosened her grip on the floor and sat back on her haunches. Bolt also let out a sigh of relief, knowing that he wasn't being accused for a crime he didn't commit.

"I only heard about this 6 hours ago. Soon after, I had that patch sent to one of my labs, and they recently came back to me with some news. The patch of fur doesn't belong to Bolt, but it DOES belong to a relative." Kurt said as he looked at Bolt, who was as shocked as could be. All eyes were locked on Bolt, wondering what he was going to say about this. As he opened his mouth to try to speak, nothing came out. He couldn't move and he couldn't talk. He could only think, and even that seemed to scare him.

"Bolt, are you okay?" Mittens asked from right beside him. The shepherd said nothing. He only looked at the floor; not in disappointment or guilt, but in thought.

"They used a sample of hair from your old battle vest from 2 years ago. It was a 98% match. I've looked as deep as I can go, Bolt. Do you remember where you were born?" Kurt explained and asked.

"No. I was adopted at a pet store, but I don't know where I'm from." Bolt answered

"Well, it's a good thing I do. You were born in a small town in Pennsylvania called Rooney. Your original owners scattered you and your other siblings throughout the country, and you ended up in southern California. From there, you were adopted by Penny."

"Whose fur is that?

"It belongs to… your father. After you and your siblings were given away, so was he. He stayed at a shelter for a few months before being adopted by an assumed name, which is now presumably fake. The adoptee went by the name William Brown, but as of right now, we don't know his REAL name." Kurt said

"Does Penny know about any of this?" Bolt asked

"No, but you do now. I figured you had a right. The new recruits haven't dealt with a situation like this. I know that you guys are retired, but we need you…. All of you. Preston, can you and Simone help us stop this?" Kurt asked. Preston and Simone looked at one another, and then back at Kurt.

"Okay." Preston answered

"Eli, what about you and Beverly?" Kurt asked again, turning to the Ridgeback and Husky.

"I don't know about this, Kurt!" Beverly asked

"A part of GGE will always stick with you, and I know that both you and Eli have what it takes. I've seen it in you before." Kurt said, practically begging.

"I'm in." Eli said. Beverly looked at her mate, waiting for him to give her his reasoning.

"He needs us, and you know it." Eli said explaining himself.

"Count me in!" Beverly said

"Bolt, Mittens: what about you?" Kurt asked

"Absolutely not!" Bolt said firmly, which seemed to surprise Kurt.

"What?"

"I was never a part of this agency, and I could've lived my whole life without knowing who my father was, especially when he's on the wrong side of the law. I told you guys that I was done helping this company after I saved Kurt. You wasted your time and your money calling Mittens and I here. I refuse! If you guys wanna help, be my guest, but leave me out of it." Bolt said getting up and walking out the open door. Mittens didn't follow him, but he didn't care. She didn't know what to think at the moment. On one hand, she wanted to support her mate; but, something seemed to be keeping her there.

"What do we do now?" Nova asked

"I had a feeling he'd turn this down." Kurt said rubbing his forehead in frustration.

"Well, I don't know how much help I'll be, but I'M going whether Bolt decides to or not." Mittens said openly.

"What about the whole 'New York' thing?" Beverly asked referring to the feline's past history with the bustling city.

"It's in the past. I have a home with Bolt now. I don't plan on going back."

**(20 minutes later)**

The group waited for Bolt to return for some time, but their impatience got the better of them. They didn't have very far to look other than just down the hallway, where Bolt sat looking out the terminal window, watching plane after plane take off and land. The first one to spot the canine was Mittens. She stood at the corner of the hall just watching him, wondering what made him come to a decision so quickly about declining the mission.

"I can feel you staring." Bolt said still looking out the window. Mittens let out a small laugh, barely audible to a human ear. She walked towards her mate and sat down right beside him in the hallway, looking in the same direction that he was.

"You looking for something?" Mittens asked

"Answers." Bolt said simply.

"Well, you aren't gonna find them here."

"Anywhere in particular I should start looking?" Bolt asked. Mittens let out a small sight before answering his question.

"I'd try New York City." said the tuxedo cat. Bolt just looked away from the window, and further away from Mittens. Something seemed to be eating away at his heart, but Mittens couldn't quite pinpoint exactly what it was.

"Are you gonna tell me what's going on? Or do I have to pry it out of you?"

"No one has to pry anything out of me."

"Then baby, just tell me!" Mittens said pleading him to speak his mind.

"….By pure instinct, I was always looking out for Penny, even before we started filming my show. It constantly made me wonder if I got that sort of courage from my father, even though I never knew him. And when Penny read that note in her graduation card from Kurt, it only made me wonder more. I kept thinking to myself, '_my father must've been a police dog, or worked with the military; something that would make people proud of him._' To hear Kurt say that my father…. is a criminal…. is something I have no interest in." Bolt explained in detail. His wisdom was something that Mittens overlooked at times, forgetting just how deep his well goes. He wasn't stupid by any means; he was broken-hearted. She recognized that same face on Penny when they had both gone back to Los Angeles, figuring that Bolt was gone for good.

"I need to give you more credit sometimes." Mittens said

"Why do you say that?" Bolt asked

"…because when you speak your mind, you actually have something to say that's worth listening to. By everyone. You may be disappointed in your father, but if he really is what they say he is, I don't see any of that in you. You actually give a damn! You put the world before yourself, even though you don't have to; and I see that in Nova and Seth. If you really wanna know what your father is like, and how you turned out so much better than he did, all of the answers are in New York." Mittens explained giving him reason to go.

"I don't know, Mittens." Bolt said turning around to start walking, but was stopped by Mittens speaking again.

"Fine! If you won't do it for yourself, then do it for Rhino." Mittens said stopping Bolt dead in his tracks before continuing.

"You were considered a god to that annoying little fur ball. He made you out to be the greatest creature to ever roam the Earth, or as he would say it…. 'Be-awesome'. In his eyes, you were a legend. And I know a part of you wants to know where that 'legend' came from, but where you **want **to know, Rhino **deserves **to know." Mittens said hoping he would come to his senses. She knew that she had jolted some memories loose in his mind, but what she couldn't see was Bolt's face, and how hard he was trying not to break down and cry hysterically. Silently, streams of tears flowed down his face. The shepherd turned around slowly to reveal his hurt side to Mittens, who also had her own few tears falling from her eyes. She ran at his chest with full force and cried while he held her. This was the first time they had fully grieved over the death of their rodent friend, and letting it all out was as true of a statement as day. The sound eventually made its way to Eli, Beverly, Nova, and Trigger as they reached the hallway where the dog and cat couple was mourning. They continued to hold each other for another two or three minutes before looking at one another with red eyes, wet from sobbing.

"For Rhino?" Mittens asked

"For Rhino." Bolt answered. The two of them made it back to the conference room, where everyone was waiting for them to return. As they looked around the room, it was as if they instantly knew what had happened. Kurt stepped out in front of them and crouched down in his 3-piece suit.

"Well…" Kurt said

"I'll do it… for Rhino." Bolt said with a stern look on his face, telling them that he was ready. Nova closed her eyes and looked away from the group as she tried hiding her pain. Not having Rhino with them anymore had an effect on her the most. Aside from Seth, Rhino was the one animal she could tell anything to. Bolt walked towards his daughter, and lifted her chin with his muzzle.

"I miss him." Nova said as the first of her tears started falling.

"I know, sweetheart. I do too." Bolt said as he pulled her into a hug with his forearm.

"For Rhino." Nova said pulling her head away from Bolt's shoulder.

"For Rhino." Trigger said walking up to the pair and smiling, causing Nova to smile as well.

"For Rhino." Mittens said as she joined the group.

"For Rhino." Eli and Beverly said heading towards the group as well.

"For Rhino." Preston and Simone said as the last of the animals to complete the troop. All that was left was Kurt, who walked away from the doorway and straight for the animal bunch in the middle of the room.

"For Rhino." he said

"Let the legacy live on!" Preston said smiling.

"So Kurt…. How are we gonna do this?" Bolt asked looked at the only human in the room.

"You let me worry about that. For now, all of you need to brush up on what you remember from your years on the job. Because six of you are no longer with the company, I can't place any of you in charge." Kurt explained.

"Okay, so who?" Eli asked

"The ranking officer in this room is Trigger. Every order of business will go through him." Kurt answered, looking at the young lab. Trigger looked at the group almost in shock. This was his 1st mission as the commanding officer, and being in charge of a team of elites made him a bit nervous.

"Are you sure about this, Kurt?" Trigger asked

"Yes. I trust you, Trigger; and I know everyone else here does too." Kurt answered once more.

"Your orders, sir." Preston said looking at the young agent, smiling in pride. He could still remember the 1st day he started training Trigger, and now his work was about to be seen by everyone.

"Kurt, do you have a training facility here in Vegas?" Trigger asked

"Less than a mile from here, to be specific." Kurt said.

"We'll head there first to start retraining; although I don't think we'll have much of a problem." Trigger said as he looked at each member of the original team of superdogs, who all smiled right back, along with Kurt.

"Yes, sir." Kurt said leading them out of the room.

**End of Chapter**

Say 'Hello' to the plot of the story. The journey with 2 missions! On one hand, they have to find out who's stealing from the company; while on the other, Bolt has the opportunity to know his true heritage, rather than what he remembers as an actor. But this is New York! The city that never sleeps! How will everyone take the new area? Will Mittens be able to keep her past where it belongs… in the past? How will Trigger do as platoon leader? Why are there so many questions? Because, my dear readers… the story has only just begun!

Visso Gerro!


	3. Nationwide Memories

Hello, hello, hello! I am your beloved… Count Olaf! Nah, just kiddin'! I just had a Jim Carrey moment, and I had to get it out. I understand that it's been awhile since my last update, and there's a reason for that: I finally found a 2nd job, and I currently work about 50-55 hours a week. I'm also volunteering with a haunted house this month, which runs a total of 12 nights until Halloween. So, my updates will be a little iffy for the next few weeks. Anyway, the story is starting to open a number of new doors for our cast, along with a cross-country trip to New York City that will test Mittens' memory and Bolt's sanity. In the present, their training facility has put them to work when it comes to scraping up a little of what they remember! Enjoy y'all!

A/N: I do not own Bolt or any of its characters. All characters are the property of Disney and its subsidiaries.

**Nationwide Memories**

Since GGE had uncovered their existence, Kurt had established a number of training facilities, ranging from Las Vegas, San Antonio, and even Washington D. C. With Trigger in charge of the order of business, it was a test to see just how well he would put his training to work. As the group was dropped off, Kurt led them towards each section of the facility that would be beneficial to their retraining.

"Okay, guys. If you need anything, I'll be up in my office." Kurt said turning around to walk to the stairs.

"Okay. Well Trigger, you heard the man. You're in charge here." Preston said addressing their new leader.

"I'm aware of what he said, but you guys all know exactly what it is you need to do to review." Trigger said

"Trigger, this is your chance to prove yourself as a platoon leader. Not too many recruits as young as you get this kind of opportunity, and if I were you, I'd take advantage of it." Preston explained

"Well… alright. Preston, you, Simone, Eli and Beverly all need to go back for a Psych Evaluation, so I'll call for a private room for the four of you." Trigger said walking towards another recruit, explaining to him everything he'd told the four veterans. As soon as the young recruit looked at what was left of 'The Phantom Five', his jaw dropped in awe. Trigger nodded his head one last time, and the recruit waved his head forward, letting Eli, Preston, Beverly and Simone know that he could follow him.

"This outta be interesting." Eli said starting to walk.

"Behave yourself." Beverly said to her mate, making sure he wouldn't try anything funny. If Beverly knew anything about Eli, she knew that he loved to mess with trainees and give them a hard time.

"What?" Eli asked

"Oh, don't give me that crap. I don't wanna see this turn into a hazing. Got it?" Beverly asked somewhat sternly.

"Yeah. I can still remember how much of a pain in the ass you were to me my first 2 weeks on the job." Simone said entering the conversation.

"It's not my fault you were so easy to pick on." Eli said jokingly as they continued to walk. That only left Bolt, Mittens and Nova, which Trigger was next to address.

"Well, Nova; you know what you need to do." Trigger said looking at HIS mate.

"Yep. I'm on it." Nova said with a smile as she started to walk away, but not before casually giving Trigger a short lick as she waltzed past him.

"As for you guys, the only thing I know of that you'll have to review is how to use the vest, and drive the van." Trigger said, addressing Bolt more so than Mittens.

"How long will that take?" Bolt asked

"No more than half an hour." Trigger answered.

"Alright. Let's get going." Bolt said to his platoon leader, and the 3 of them went off towards one of the large tunnel rooms. It was 4 floors beneath them, and so huge, Bolt could hear his own echo with the slightest whisper.

"Whoa!" Bolt said in a normal tone after getting used to the open space.

"Yeah, I know. This part of the facility used to be an old subway tunnel, but it was never finished. About 20 years ago, Las Vegas had planned to install one that traveled underneath the Strip; unfortunately, they ran out of money." Trigger explained to Bolt and Mittens as they followed him to the end of the tunnel.

"Well, you guys look like you've done well with it." Mittens said jumping in.

"Well, we're about to find out." Trigger said.

"What do you mean?" Bolt asked

"I mean; this tunnel hasn't been used for training yet. They just finished it a few weeks ago. In other words; you're gonna be the 1st one to test it out." Trigger explained to Bolt some more.

"Sweet!" Bolt said getting excited. The shepherd's vest was already hanging on a harness for him, and waiting to be placed around his upper body. It still fit perfectly, which only made Bolt that much more excited to use it again. Mittens and Trigger sat on the sidelines watching Bolt take out targets as they popped up one by one. He didn't dare use his 'superbark' just yet, due to the chance of the building caving in on the small group of animals. Trigger was right in the sense that it didn't take Bolt very long at all to get used to the vest again, and learning how to operate the van was even simpler.

**(1 hour later)**

"Hey Penny!" Bolt said starting a call with Penny in Kurt's office.

"**Hey! How's Las Vegas going?"**Penny asked from the other end of the line.

"Well…. they're retraining me."

"**For what?"**

"To…. go to New York."

"**New York?... Bolt, what's going on?"**

"GGE is missing a lot of money, and they aren't sure who's stealing it. But that's not the only reason I'm going. Kurt said he found a patch of white shepherd fur near one of the places where the money was being exchanged. They were using a dog to transfer it…. more specifically…. my father."

"…**."**

"I'm gonna try to get him out of there. Or at least meet him, and figure out why he chose the wrong side of the law."

"**Are you sure you wanna do this?"**

"Not completely. But, I know I won't get another chance to know him."

"…**okay. Just be careful, please."**

"I will."

"**You're a good boy, you know that?"**

"No. I'm your good boy!"

"**Haha. Okay, well good luck to you guys. Is Mittens going too?"**

"Yeah. I'm not sure how well she's gonna take being back in New York, but I guess we'll find out."

"**True. Well, I guess I'll talk to you later, okay?"**

"Okay! Bye Penny!"

"**Bye."** Penny said ending their phone call. Trigger pressed the button to disconnect the call, and carefully took the headset off of Bolt's ears.

"Thanks." Bolt said to the lab.

"No problem."

"So, how are you and Nova doing?" Bolt asked

"It's interesting balancing work and love." Trigger answered.

"I bet."

"But I'm not complaining. You told us that we were gonna fight, and we do on occasion; but we eventually work it out." Trigger said smiling.

"That's good to hear." Bolt said smiling back at his new 'son-in-law'. All of a sudden, Mittens came running through the door, nearly knocking over Kurt's trash can in the process of stopping.

"Whoa, Mittens! Calm down! Are you okay?" Bolt asked in worry.

"Bolt, you have to come see this." Mittens said running back out the door, with her canine mate following her step for step. Trigger also trailed behind the pair as they ran all the way down the long stretch of hallway. They ran a good 300 feet before Mittens stopped Bolt at the edge of a giant window, and pointed outside.

"Do you see what I see?" Mittens said looking up at him. Bolt focused his vision on whatever it was Mittens was trying to show him, looking in numerous spots.

"What is it I'm supposed to be…?" Bolt started before pausing in the middle of his sentence. Something caught his attention, and Mittens smiled knowing he'd spotted it. Trigger walked up to them and stared out the window. He watched with curiosity, wondering what it was that made the dog and cat completely oblivious to the rest of the world. Even with the focus locked on, Trigger decided to make an attempt at breaking their train of thought.

"So… what are you guys lookin' at?" Trigger asked

"Is there a door that leads out there?" Bolt asked Trigger without taking his eyes off the spectacle.

"Yeah, it's downstairs. You mind if I join you? Then you can explain to me what you're staring at." Trigger offered, figuring he'd tag along.

"Sure." Bolt answered

"Follow me." Trigger said turning around and heading for an elevator, with Bolt and Mittens mere inches behind him. Whatever they saw was making them eager, and making Trigger really curious.

**(Preston, Simone, Eli, and Beverly)**

"Well, the test results have all come back positive. You all passed!" Allen said to the four canines, letting them know that they passed their Psych Evaluations.

"Awesome!" Preston said happily.

"So, what's next?" Beverly asked

"Dinner!" Eli said openly, with his stomach growling at the perfect time. Beverly let out a short laugh under her breath, while Simone and Preston just smiled.

"Okay. I'm down!" Beverly said trying her best not to laugh again. With that, the group walked out of the room, and straight for the cafeteria.

"So, do you know what we'll be doing in New York?" Simone asked Allen.

"Well, Trigger will be setting up a stakeout outside the next meeting place. Until we know where it'll happen, we're gonna investigate the last 2 of them. If anything suspicious comes up, we'll be further ahead of whomever it is that's embezzling us." Allen explained.

"Where IS Trigger, anyway?" Preston asked

"Isn't he still retraining Bolt?" Beverly asked

"No. They finished like… an hour ago." Preston answered looking at the clock on the wall.

"You sound like you're starting to worry." Beverly stated

"Well, he's still practically a rookie. It's not that I don't think he can do it, because I know he can; but… I have a tendency to worry." Preston explained

"You're in 'Worried Parent' mode again, aren't you?" Eli asked with a smirk.

"No, he's not my son. He's Bolt's…. I mean 'yours'… sort of…. son-in-law…not mine. The point that I'm trying to make is that I DO worry about him, but I worry about you guys too. It's just who I am!" Preston explained in more detail.

"Honey, we're giving him a chance to prove himself as troop leader. He was your best recruit. He'll do fine!" Simone said with assurance.

**(Bolt, Mittens, and Trigger)**

After taking the elevator 3 floors downwards and finding the rear entrance, Bolt led Mittens and Trigger to the site that caught their eyes. Trigger still had many unanswered questions, but figured it be best to wait, knowing that most of them would be answered shortly. The site itself happened to be a large enclosure, almost like that of a dumpsite. All that could be seen was some tossed and torn furniture, a couple of blank billboard signs, a few abandoned cars and truck, and….

"What are you 2 looking for?" Trigger asked as he followed them around the area.

"Nothing. We found it." Bolt said sitting down right next to Mittens as they both gazed at the sight. Before them were 3 boxes, all filled with bedding stuffed with Styrofoam.

"What's this?" Trigger asked again.

"When I was coming home from New York the first time, Las Vegas was the last places we all stayed as a group. And this… was Mittens' surprise for me. She woke me up that last day, and said she had something she wanted to show me…. and this was it. I don't know how long she worked on it, but she wanted me to stay with her and Rhino here. But it's been 2 years since then, and I can't believe it's all still here." Bolt said reminiscing about the journey back home. Mittens slowly walked up to Bolt's bedding area and stuck a stick up to keep the cardboard flap from falling. She just sat there and looked around. Trigger walked around Bolt and opened a smaller flap right next to Bolt's, which Mittens had designated specifically for Rhino.

"That was Rhino's." Bolt said smiling. Trigger gently reached inside and pulled out what looked to be a small magazine from the small box, instantly catching Bolt's attention.

"What's that?" Bolt asked as he walked up to Trigger.

"I don't know." Trigger answered setting it down in front of the group of 3. The black lab blew the dust and sand off of the cover, showing a 'Bolt' comic book. Bolt just looked at the book and smiled even wider.

"He really WAS my biggest fan." Bolt said in a hushed tone. Mittens looked at her mate, and walked towards him; tears already pouring from her eyes. Her face soon landed in Bolt's shoulder, with Trigger right behind her to close the hug. Trigger looked down at the comic book, wishing he could've had the chance to go along on the incredible journey with them.

"I think I'm gonna leave you guys alone for a few. You know where the back door is." Trigger said turning around and walking away.

"Trigger." Bolt said catching the lab's ears.

"Yeah."

"…Thanks…for bringing us out here." Bolt said smiling, causing Trigger to smile back and nod his head. With that, Trigger made his way back to the facility, leaving Bolt and Mittens to look back on the times they had with Rhino. He walked through the propped door, and began the walk back to Kurt's office. As he passed the cafeteria, he noticed the rest of the elite team and Allen sitting around enjoying dinner and conversation.

"See you guys tonight." Trigger said to himself, talking about their departure from Las Vegas to the streets of the Big Apple. The lab made his way to their fearless leader's office, and opened the door to find Kurt in the same place he was before.

"Hey." Trigger said

"Hey. What was that all about?" Kurt asked as he looked up and spotted the dog.

"Bolt and Mittens saw somethin' that brought back some memories." Trigger explained.

"I see. Well, the rest of the team is eating dinner, and I'm gonna be joining them shortly. You're more than welcome to come too." Kurt offered

"Thanks, but… I think I'm gonna spend some time with Nova before we leave tonight.

"Fair enough." Kurt said with a smile. Trigger then turned around, and walked down the hallway once more, where Nova's space was. It was a 4-hour break that they could enjoy as a couple before their plane was to be chartered. The mission was to begin at 10:45pm, with the plane taking off from one of the smaller city airports, and landing in New York at 8:00am the next morning. The only thing left of the agenda until then was to enjoy what little time they had left on the other side of the country.

**End of Chapter**

This one took a while. I wanted to work on it more, but given the little amount of free time I have, it wasn't as simple as it seemed. However, there is one good thing to say about this update, besides the obvious; Today; October 18th, is my birthday. So, I get to upload Chapter 3 on my 20th birthday. HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME! The only negative thing about it is that I have to work 7 hours tonight. I'm happy to be pulling in money, but I know that sacrificing my fun moments are gonna have to happen more. I'm trying to save for a better truck, and it doesn't come cheap. But if I can save $2,000 by the start of the New Year, that truck will be mine! HEEELLLLL YEEEAAAAHHHHH! I will try to have Chapter 4 up by the end of October, but I can't guarantee anything. See you guys later!

Visso Gerro!


	4. Street Slang

What's goin' on, everyone? I'm back once again with Chapter 4. I've left you waiting long enough, so I'd better take advantage of what free time I currently have. As you guys have already figured out, Bolt's father is somewhere in the city. This is his one chance to get to know where he came from. How will he take meeting him for the first time? Will he be upset? Confused? Disappointed? It's time to find out.

A/N: I do now own Bolt or any of its characters. All characters are the property of Disney and its subsidiaries.

**Street Slang**

_Walking down a dark alleyway at who knows what time of night, Bolt peered his head around the corner of a building to see 3 men standing next to a dumpster. As they speak with one another, his ears try to pick up the conversation._

"_You got the money?" One man asked in a heavy Brooklyn accent._

"_You got the photos?" asked another man in an accent just as thick._

"_Don't play around with me! This is an even trade! $50,000 for the pictures! If you don't got it, I know plenty of others that can get it for me… and they won't mess around."_

"_What you need these pictures for so bad for anyway?" asked the 3__rd__ man._

"_You don't need to know."_

"_It's our job to know where our money comes from, cuz you know the fuz. They're getting' better at trackin' it"_

"_Well, you're gonna have to let this one slide. It doesn't matter anyway. It don't affect you."_

"_It's my business to…" said the last man before Bolt's hearing was cut off. The reason came in the form of something pulling him backwards by the collar and throwing him against a brick wall. Bolt fell to the ground, and looked up slowly to see what had just thrown him._

"_Who… who are you?" Bolt asked starting to shake a little._

"_Your worst nightmare, kid!" answered the figure. As it walked into the light, Bolt noticed that it was a white shepherd, who continued to speak shortly after appearing._

"_Who the hell are you? The fez?" asked the unknown dog as he came close to Bolt's head. Afraid to answer, Bolt kept his mouth shut._

"_I asked you a question, kid. __**Who… the hell… do you work for?" **__he asked with more emphasis._

"_Read the collar." Bolt finally answered. The canine leant down to read Bolt's tag, and saw his name, along with the GGE plate. Seeing this, the shepherd took a couple steps back in shock._

"_You work for GGE?" _

"_No, I'm just a helping hand. I'm here for something else. I'm looking for you." Bolt said finally standing on his feet._

"_What do you want?"_

"_You!" Bolt answered blatantly. The mystery dog looked at Bolt with curiosity, and backed up a couple steps in fear._

"_Someone called a hit on me, didn't they?" he asked_

"_No. I came to New York to FIND you, not KILL you."_

"_Whattaya want from me?"_

"_To meet you…. Dad!" Bolt said glaring at his father. The other dog was frozen in place, showing absolutely no emotion whatsoever. Until…_

"_What?" he asked quietly. All of a sudden, a gunshot rang out from about 15 feet away. The three men had finished their talk and turned the corner to see the 2 talking dogs. Knowing that there was only one way they could talk, they panicked. Bolt ran towards the trio of criminals head on, racing past even more shots before jumping for the gunman. The force of the blow knocked him backwards, causing him to trip over a pipe and fall to the ground below, where the concrete knocked him out. Bolt then turned around to see the other assailants backing up slowly._

"_Laser 1, FIRE!" Bolt shouted as the ballpoint pen laser shot forward, with both men dodging the shot by mere millimeters._

_Holy Shit! Let's get outta here!" shouted one of the men as they ran the other direction and out of the alleyway. Bolt let out a sigh of relief before drawing his attention back to his 'father', who by now was clutching his side. He had been shot by the 1__st__ bullet._

"_NO!" Bolt shouted as he ran to his father's aid._

"_You gotta get outta here." his father said starting to cough up blood._

"_I'm not leaving you." Bolt said in desperation. Before he knew it, his father was lying on the ground and barely moving. Within minutes, he would be dead._

"_No, NO, NOOOOO!" _Bolt's head jolted forward as he rolled a few feet. He was completely out of breath, and didn't know why.

"Bolt, calm down. What happened?" Preston said holding his friend still. It didn't take long for Bolt to realize that he had just come out of a dream, even if it felt more like a nightmare. His breathing was still heavy, but he was now able to hold still. Beverly and Eli walked up seconds later to find out what happened.

"It was a dream… It was just a dream." Bolt said somewhat out of it.

"Baby, are you okay?" Mittens asked from right next to him.

"I've felt better."

"What happened?" Preston asked again.

"I had this….dream. I was listening to these guys talking in an alley, and… I saw my father." Bolt explained still short of breath. Preston watched his friend squirm in place, and it killed him to wonder what he must've been feeling. None of them could do anything for Bolt at the moment but back away and let him breath. The only one who didn't step away was Mittens, just wanting to lay against his shoulder and let him know, as best she could, that he was safe. It wasn't long before Trigger and Nova joined the crowd, wondering what caused the ruckus.

"Dad, what's wrong?" Nova asked

"It's okay, I'm fine. Just a scary as hell dream." Bolt explained letting his daughter know that he was gonna be alright. All of a sudden, Bolt felt the ground shake underneath his body. His head turned in every direction possible, trying to figure out what was going on.

"Whoa! Was that a tremor?" Bolt asked. The rest of them looked at the shepherd, wondering what he meant.

"No… it's turbulence." Beverly answered.

"Say what?" Bolt asked again, thinking he heard her wrong.

"We're flying, Bolt…. in a Gulfstream… to New York, remember?" Beverly said trying to job Bolt's memory.

"I… I don't remember getting on the plane." Bolt said

"Not surprising." Kurt said from the seat behind them. He turned the swivel chair around so he could speak to the whole group; even though Bolt was the only one who needed an answer.

"We had to put a chewable tranquilizer in your dinner. Because you and Mittens have no genetic enhancement, your bodies won't be able to handle the sudden change of altitude during take-off. When we land, it's no big deal. It's getting up in the air that wouldn't be good for you. Mittens woke up about 20 minutes ago, and we told her the same thing I'm telling you." Kurt explained

"Uh-huh. Okay." Bolt said vaguely, not really knowing how to answer Kurt.

"The stuff we gave you can sometimes cause weird dreams. I apologize for that." Kurt said

"No biggy!" Bolt said still as vague as before. By now, everyone else had gone back to their spots on the couch.

"So, how much further?" Bolt asked Kurt.

"We got about… another 4 hours. We're just passing over Oklahoma, and need to make a stop in Tulsa soon before we go all the way. But in the meantime, get as much sleep as you can. It's 3:30 in the morning, so it shouldn't be too big of a problem." Kurt said laughing a little, which Bolt just smiled at. It didn't take long at all for Bolt to fall asleep once again.

**(8:00AM: New York City)**

"Bolt, Bolt wake up! We're here." Mittens said, nuzzling Bolt's neck.

"Mmmm… you keep that up, we might as well just stay on the plane." Bolt said in a seductive voice as he opened his eyes.

"Not the time, Wags!" Mittens said sarcastically, to which Bolt just shook his head a little before following her down the hallway of the plane, and towards the runway exit to the airport. The rest of the group was waiting for them near the cockpit, where Kurt was talking with the pilot.

"Go ahead and take the plane to Hanger 2. We'll be here about one week, so enjoy yourself a little. That's an order!" Kurt said handing his pilot his pay with a smile.

"Yes, sir!" said the pilot, who took his check and unlatched the door. All 10 of them followed one another out the door, and through the hallway towards the gate.

"Alright, guys. You know the drill!" Kurt said to the agents, who all nodded and walked to a set of animal crates that were waiting for them before they entered the actual airport. Bolt and Mittens just followed them, not knowing where to go.

"Do we follow you guys?" Bolt asked Eli.

"Yep. We need to look as inconspicuous as possible, so posing as pets is the best way. Didn't Trigger brief you on this?" Eli answered and asked.

"No." Bolt answered back.

"What DID he brief you on?" Eli asked curiously.

"Um… how to reuse the vest, and drive the van again. That was pretty much it!" Bolt said, wondering if Trigger did everything he was supposed to. Eli just lowered his head, shaking it a little.

"What?" Bolt asked

"I'll explain in the crates." Eli said leading the dog and cat couple to their kennels. As soon as they were in place and the cages were locked, the animals were wheeled towards the exit with Eli explaining what was 'supposed' to happen, but never did.

"Okay, Trigger should've informed the two of you about the crates, along with where we'll be staying. We'll all be briefed on what we need to do at the apartment, so that's not an issue. When it came to the tranquilizer pills, he should have told you about those too; which is why I was really surprised when you woke up and didn't know where you were at first. Kurt basically stepped in to save the day and explain it FOR him." Eli said. Bolt looked at Mittens, and thought about why that necessary information was never told to them.

"Well, we never heard any of this." Bolt said

"Well, I hope this doesn't happen again." Eli said seeming agitated.

"Eli, don't make too big of a deal outta this." Bolt said pleading with him to look past it.

"Unfortunately, I have to. This is 'need to know' information, and can mean the difference between life and death. What if you had gotten lost in this airport? It's not like you can use your collar, because dogs shouldn't talk. People would freak out, and you could get hurt. Every little detail is as important as the big ones." Eli explained quietly. Not being able to speak in a normal dog tongue, he had to keep his voice down; unlike Bolt, who had the option of shutting off his collar.

"So, what are we supposed to do?" Bolt asked

"I have to tell Preston and Kurt what you just told me. They'll keep an eye on him, and make sure he does his job. Until then, I want you to tell me everything HE tells you. If it's accurate and detailed, then we shouldn't have any more issues; but, if he keeps it vague or says nothing at all, we may have to change around the chain of command… We can't afford to lose you guys, and I don't want to." Eli said staring at Bolt and Mittens.

"Okay. Do what you gotta do!" Bolt said agreeing with his friend. He didn't want one small mistake to end their lives, and with Trigger still a young agent and leader of the pack, they had a right to be nervous. The animals were rolled on their cart from the gate out to the main lobby. To all of the people waiting in their seats, they were just normal dogs. And that's exactly what they wanted. Allen and Kurt walked side by side, making sure to keep the scene as casual as possible. Within 10 minutes, they were heading for a safe house, where they would stay for the remainder of their trip. The ride there was a long one for Mittens. She didn't expect being back in New York City to be as nerve-wracking as it was, but she had Bolt around to protect her this time instead of threaten her. All of a sudden, the car came to a stop.

"We're here!" Kurt said from the passenger seat. The back door of the van opened, allowing each of the animals to jump to the curb. Kurt turned to Allen, who was in the driver's seat.

"We have a spot around back to park. Use the dark green door when you come inside, and we'll be on the 2nd floor." Kurt ordered

"Got it!" Allen said taking his orders, and driving around the block. Kurt then turned his attention back to his animal counterparts, and walked up the front steps to open the door. He led them inside and up a short flight of stairs. The building itself had a dark atmosphere, and Kurt could smell some faint mold on the corners of the ceiling; however, it was only temporary.

"I feel like I'm in some horror movie." Bolt said as they continued to walk.

"We need to blend into society while we're here, and look like we belong. Don't worry, though! The actual room is much more sanitary." Kurt stated

"Consider yourself lucky, Bolt. Some of the places we had to stay in during our years on the job make this place seem like the Taj Mahal." Beverly explained with a sarcastic smile. Bolt just smiled back, and looked forward to see that they had reached their 'home away from home.'

"Here we are. #14." Kurt said unlocking the door.

"Are pets even allowed here?" Bolt asked

"Trust me. They honestly don't care. By the way the landlord looked at me; he didn't care if I was a druglord. And if need be, we can always bribe the man." Kurt said with a chuckle in his voice. He ushered all of them into the living room, and shut the door; locking it behind him.

"There's one bedroom to the left and one down the hall. We'll be in the one down the hallway, and Kurt and Allen will take the other." Trigger informed. As they looked around, they noticed that Kurt was right. The room WAS much nicer than other parts of the complex. Bolt and Mittens walked towards the window and looked out to the see the city skyline. It was exactly as Mittens had remembered it.

"How are you feeling?" Bolt asked his mate.

"I'll be fine. It's just gonna take a little time." Mittens answered

"Well, hopefully we won't be here much longer than we have to be." Bolt added. The shepherd turned around to see Beverly walking up behind them.

"Is everything okay?" Beverly asked

"Yeah. It's just trying to get over the past that… (knock knock knock!)" Mittens began before the group heard a knock at the door. Kurt leaned his ear against the door.

"Allen, is that you?" Kurt asked

"_Yep!" _Allen said from behind the door. Kurt unlocked the deadbolt, and opened the door, letting in his employee.

"The car?" Kurt asked

"… in the spot you wanted." Allen said

"Great!"

"Alright, well we need to get a feel for the area. So, Kurt and Allen will send 2 of you out at a time as their pets. We have leashes in the bag, and we'll have eyes on you as far as the cameras will allow." Trigger said looking to the window, where a tripod camera was set up to watch them.

"Beverly and Eli; you guys will go with Kurt. Nova and I will go with Allen. The rest of you will stay here until we get back, which shouldn't be more than a half hour." Trigger explained again.

"Yes, sir." Preston and Simone said in sync. Bolt gave a nod, and Mittens just stood there and didn't really move. With that, each group left the apartment one after the other. Preston walked to the door and turned the deadbolt lock back upwards with his telekinesis, and then walked to the window, where he watched the street below, and waited for Kurt and Allen to exit the building.

"_Hey, buddy! You lookin for somethin'?" _said a voice from out of nowhere. It made Preston jump back from the window sill, and back into the living room. Simone blocked him from falling on his back.

"Whoa! Easy, baby!" Simone said trying to calm Preston down, whom never took his eyes off the window. Bolt and Mittens also stared at the window as they waited for the voice to speak again.

"Who's there?" Preston said forcefully; his laser eyes ready to strike.

"_You gonna attack me?" _the voice asked again. It was a thick Brooklyn accent that was easy for Mittens to recognize, having lived on the streets of the city for years. Preston rested his laser eyes and sat down.

"Just keep your distance!" Preston warned

"_I got nothin' against ya's." _

"Show yourself!" Simone said. After about 10 seconds of waiting, the figure came into view. Two mouths dropped at the sight of it, while the other two stayed closed.

**End of Chapter**

Well, this is interesting. A cliffhanger has been issued! Can you decipher who the mystery character is? The first person to guess the right answer will receive a special privilege. So, get those reviews in. I have 2 readers hooked on this story, and will gladly take more. Get 'em in, y'all! I have one final request from my readers: As most of us already know, Hurricane Sandy is currently sweeping through the East Coast, and directly in the path of her destruction is one of our very own…. Mike101. He lives maybe an hour away from where the epicenter of the storm will be when it hits the mainland. So keep him and his family in your thoughts and prayers! Thanks everyone! Until next time…

Visso Gerro!


	5. Brooklyn's Weirdest

Hey everyone! In the midst of writing this chapter, I'm also having to my roommates fight about God knows what. So forgive me if you get lost in a few places. I'm usually pretty good at catching my mistakes before each update, but there's always the chance. Anyway, we left off at the stakeout apartment, where a mystery character has appeared; bringing back memories for two of them. That just leaves the other two completely confused. Who is it? Check out Teddy's review and find out…

A/N: I do not own Bolt or any of its characters. All characters are the property of Disney and its subsidiaries.

**Brooklyn's Weirdest**

"Oh boy! This ain't good, Joey!" said one of the two pigeons as he described seeing Mittens, who by now had a look of complete disgust written all over her face.

"Hehe. Uh…hey Mittens." Joey said getting nervous.

"What's up, Joey? Vinny?" Mittens asked both of them as she stood there; still disgusted.

"Uh… we thought you was…"

"Gone? Oh yeah…. I was. But I'm back for about a week. You two are extremely lucky I ain't here to rip you to shreds." Mittens said with her Brooklyn accent seeping through her speech. She was still holding her face from hell, but wasn't about to put it to use. She still had no claws. Both pigeons let out a deep sigh of relief.

"Thanks, Mittens!" Bolt whispered into her ear, which she just smiled at. Joey and Vinny then looked over at Bolt, having noticed that HE looked familiar too.

"Wait a minute! I know you's from somewhere." Joey said looking at the shepherd, and trying to jog his memory.

"You should. I'm the same dog who took HER away." Bolt said motioning his head towards Mittens. The black cat just smiled.

"Yeah, yeah yeah. I got that part! But I knows you from somewhere else. Where do I know you's? Where?" Joey asked himself with the same short term memory he had when they all met. Bolt shook his head and rolled his eyes a little, wondering why he even bothered to continue the conversation.

"His name is…" Preston began before Joey cut him off.

"No, no, no, no. Trust me! I got this." Joey interrupted

"Are these the same pigeons you told us about when we first met?" Simone asked quietly towards Bolt and Mittens.

"Unfortunately, yes. But there WERE three of them last time." Bolt pointed out.

"Yeah, I noticed that too." Mittens said openly as they all watched the idiot pigeon try to search his own mind. Until finally…

"No, I…I thought I knew." Joey said defeated once again.

"Oh, for God's sake: My name is Bolt. I'm the superdog from that God-awful TV show." Bolt said having had enough. At first, the pigeons gave a look of slight shock, but it eventually turned into confusion.

"Wait… Really? I thought you were someone else." Joey said. Bolt's face was that of disbelief. Even with the detailed explanation, he was still being mistaken for someone else.

"Seriously?" Bolt asked

"Well, I'm sorry. You just look so much like…. Hey, wait a New York Minute! Why are you two back? And… wasn't you supposed to like… die or something?" Vinny asked Mittens, very confused.

"No, birdbrain! Bolt here decided to take me back to California with him. After YOU guys left me. So, I live with HIM now." Mittens said getting irritated.

"Oh! Well… okay." Vinny answered.

"So, what? Are you and the mutt a couple? An item? Do you give each other little kisses?" Joey teased jokingly, messing with Bolt and Mittens, and causing he and Vinny to burst out in laughter.

"Oh, you mean like this?" Bolt asked as he pulled in his feline mate for a deep tongue kiss to 'show off' a little. Joey and Vinny's beaks opened as wide as they could go, almost big enough to cause lockjaw on any human. As Bolt released the kiss, he gazed at Mittens with a big smile, and soon after, gave her a lick from cheek to ear; only causing her to giggle a little before she laid her head against his chest briefly. As the couple looked upwards to see the pigeons' reaction, they found the two birds completely frozen in place.

"Uh… Are you serious right now?" Joey asked still trying to comprehend what he just saw.

"Yeah, pretty much." Bolt answered with a subtle nod.

"We even have two adopted kids. One of which happens to be here with us." Mittens answered trying to frighten them a little. It worked!

"Whoa, now! We don't want any trouble." Vinny said defensively.

"Well, like we said earlier; it's a good thing we're not back for you." Bolt said

"Then… why ARE you here?" Vinny asked. Bolt looked at Preston, wondering if he should tell them the truth. Preston waved his paw forward, letting Bolt know that it was fine.

"We're here to find someone that's been stealing money from a genetics company." Bolt answered

'So, you ARE a secret agent!" Joey said feeling proud to know the answer.

"Not exactly! It's temporary. But I'm also looking for my father. He's a white shepherd who's part of the team of criminals." Bolt added. The comment seemed to catch both Joey AND Vinny's attention.

"Here in New York?" Joey asked

"Specifically, Brooklyn!" Preston answered from the left.

"Wait, are you guys talkin' about Bandit?" Joey asked again. All 4 of the animals shot their heads back in shock.

"You know who we're looking for?" Preston asked

"Oh yeah! THAT'S WHO YOU LOOK LIKE! He looks like Bandit! I was trying to think of that same guy when we bumped into you the 1st time 2 ½ years ago." Joey explained. All this time, he looked just like his father, and the pigeons knew who he was. Bolt sat back and took it all in. It wasn't the TV show they knew him from; it was his own flesh and blood.

"Do you know where he is?" Preston asked

"Yeah, we know where he is. But I wouldn't dare mess with him. He's a stone-cold killer."

"What?" Bolt asked

"Yeah, Why do you think Ronaldo ain't here with us? That bastard canine killed him for nothing." Joey explained getting agitated and upset at the same time.

"What happened?" Bolt asked

"We was in a back alleyway pickin' for food when this mutt comes up to us and chases us down. Then he tells us to beat it! We ask why, and the next thing we know, we're trying to get out 'cause he started shootin' some weird laser at us. But it hit Ronaldo. He fell from the sky faster than my last bomb on some lady in Queens." Joey explained.

"Wow! Okay, um…. you could've left that part out." Bolt said instantly becoming disgusted by the last comment.

"Whatever!"

"Where can we find him?" Mittens asked

"Why should I tell you? You kept us prisoners so that you could get your food. And now you want us to HELP you? Uh-uh! Ain't gonna happen, ya little priss!" Joey said obviously upset, and it only made try to lunge at him. Thankfully, Bolt brought her back to her feet when he reached for her chest to pull her back. He wasn't about to let a fight break out.

"Alright, that's enough! Joey, eventually you're gonna have to get over what Mittens did to you. And she's not the one asking for your help… I am! We came all the way from Los Angeles for this. Please don't make us go back when we have a chance to make things right." Bolt said starting out with a shout, and dying down to a normal tone. Preston and Simone just felt it best to stay out of the way. It wasn't their conversation to get involved with. Joey looked away from the group and stared at the floor for a brief moment; and soon after let out a deep sigh. It had been 2 ½ years since the last time he'd seen Mittens, and as much as he wanted to convince himself that she was the same cat, he couldn't.

"Fine. But you owe me." Joey answered

"What am I? 2nd bread crumb?" Vinny asked, feeling he deserved part of the cut.

"Okay, okay! I may have a way we can work things out." Preston said. Bolt and Mittens looked over at the husky, wondering what he had in mind.

"Like what?" Joey asked

**(1 hour later)**

Trigger, Nova, Eli and Beverly had been paged by Preston to make a pick-up. They had no idea why the order was necessary; however, they were about to find out. The group of 4 animals walked towards the door to the apartment, with Allen and Kurt following close behind. Kurt moved in front of the dogs to unlock the door, where hear could hear talking from the other side.

"What's going on?" Trigger asked Kurt.

"I don't know." Kurt answered as he turned the doorknob. As the door opened, they noticed 2 pigeons standing at the edge of the window sill chatting with Bolt and Preston.

"Hey guys!" Simone said from next to the door.

"Hey, uh…. we got the stuff. What's up?" Nova asked as Kurt set the 'stuff' on the counter.

"Oh, it's kind of a bribe for those two." Simone explained as she looked over at the pigeons. Bolt walked to the counter and jumped upwards to grab the bag, and pull it towards the window.

"What you got for us?" Joey asked

"This." Bolt said opening the bag to find a loaf of whole grain bread along with a box of 12 donuts and a small pizza. Joey and Vinny looked at the stash of fresh food with their eyes widened.

"We're in!" the pigeons said simultaneously.

"We figured." Preston said with a smile on his face.

"So, what's going on here?" Eli asked

"Oh! This is Joey and Vinny; a couple of pigeons that Mittens used to know when she still lived here. They know where we can find Bandit." Preston said.

"Who's Bandit?" Kurt asked from the doorway.

"Right, sorry! Bolt's father." Preston said in more detail. Nova and Trigger's eyes were solely locked on Bolt.

"Do you know where he is?" Nova asked, expecting to hear Bolt answer the question; but instead…

"He's here in Brooklyn. He lives on DeKoven Court at a place called 'Strange Dog Inn', and I've been told that he actually lives in the basement." Joey answered having agreed to the deal he and Preston had made.

'Strange Dog'?" Preston asked

"Yeah. It ain't actually a dog hotel; that's just the name." Joey answered

"Okay… that works!" Bolt said looking away in curiosity.

"Well, we need to get going." Eli said

"How far is DeKoven Court from here?" Nova asked the pigeons.

"About a 3-mile flight… or walk in your case." Vinny answered. All of a sudden, an idea popped into Bolt's head.

"Hey guys; you know where just about everything is in this city. We have ways to find where we're going, but you know the safe and not-so-safe places to be. Would you guys wanna come with us?" Bolt offered.

"Yeah, right! You brought us food, and we told you where to find your pops. That was the deal! You want us to go withya, you're gonna have to sweeten the pot." Joey said. It was at that moment, Bolt snapped.

"You know what? Forget it! I'm done tryin' to be the nice guy. How about we BOTH sweeten the deal? If WE can find Bandit and the rest of his 'crew', we'll get you guys 20 loaves of whole grain bread, or at least enough to last you through the next winter. And if you tell us everything we need to know about the areas, and what to watch out for, you have the chance to get your own revenge on Bandit. I don't care what you do to him, just don't kill him!" Bolt said finishing his rant/deal with Joey and Vinny. The birds looked at each other and contemplated the offer. Bolt had been able to outsmart them with an offer they couldn't refuse. Beverly looked at Bolt, and his level of persistence. She was extremely impressed with how much of his very little training he needed to make a good deal.

"Way to drive a good bargain." Joey said in a monotone voice.

"That's Bolt for you!" Beverly said in an attempt to make a joke. The white shepherd just snickered briefly before looking back at the pigeons.

"Well…"

"You got yourself a deal!" Joey said with a smile on his beak. Bolt sighed as the deal was finally wrapped up. Multiple arguments had paid off in the end.

"So where do we start?" Bolt asked

"Well, on our little stroll around the neighborhood, we found these…" Trigger began, and let Kurt pull the two items out of a small bag he had strapped to his waist. One was a small key to a mailbox with the same address of the hotel engraved on it.

"It's a key to where?" Preston asked

"The hotel's mailbox. It's not a room key, but it's definitely a start. We also have this $100 bill, but the best part about it is…. it's fake." Eli asked. Preston and Simone smiled at the fact.

"How does that help?" Bolt asked

"Every bill made, even the fakes, have a special maker's mark on it. If we can trace the bill back to the manufacturer, then we know who were going after."

"I thought we were looking for the REAL money." Bolt stated, still confused.

"We are! But like most counterfeiters, they have to have real money to start. After the fakes are made and scattered throughout the city, they're free to do whatever they want with the real stuff. And by the time the cops realize that the money isn't real, the bad guys will be long gone. We have to stop them before they can spread the money beyond New York." Eli explained in more detail. It was then that Bolt finally started to understand the purpose behind the mission.

"Okay." Bolt said

"So, you 2 are on our side now?" Preston asked, looking at Joey and Vinny.

"Yeah, we're in." Joey answered smiling.

"Sweet. So would you guys be okay with circling the hotel for a few minutes, and seeing if anything looks suspicious?" Simone asked

"If we have to, we will." Joey said, not totally crazy about being so close to Bandit.

"Okay. I'm gonna attach some mini-cameras to your necks. They won't hurt you; they'll just be a little uncomfortable.

"I'll give you a hand." Kurt offered and walked over to the pigeons.

"WHOA! Human!" Vinny said backing up as far as he could in fear.

"Kurt, wait!" Simone said in a flash, causing Kurt to pull his hand back abruptly.

"What?" Kurt asked

"Guys; it's okay. He's one of us, and he won't hurt you. I just need his help putting the cameras on you." Simone explained. Kurt looked back at the pigeons, and waited for them to feel more comfortable being around him. Simone waited for Joey and Vinny to say something for about 2 minutes, before Vinny took the 1st couple of steps towards Kurt. The still skittish bird eventually both feet on Kurt's finger as Simone got to work clasping on the camera. After seeing how easy it was with Vinny, Joey also wandered over and let Kurt and Simone do the same to him.

"How do they feel?" Simone asked

"A little better than I thought they would." Joey said surprised. While the pigeons were being taken care of, Eli and Beverly sat down while they could and ate some of the food they'd picked up. Preston and Simone also decided to dig in for a few minutes, while Trigger and Allen discussed the next few steps to the mission. Bolt looked at the scenery before him: Cameras being set up along with the rest of equipment, people and animals preparing to take on danger, and being in the middle of New York City. Mittens couldn't decipher what was on his mind, even though she'd done good figuring it out pretty quickly in the past. Before she could ask what was wrong…

"Dad, are you doin' okay?" Nova asked standing at his side. Bolt was shaken out of his daze and looked at Mittens and then Nova.

"Yeah, I'm okay. I just keep thinking about how much Rhino would've loved to have seen this. We're carrying out the mission of a lifetime; something he lived for. It was danger at every turn for that little rodent." Bolt said half-smiling and half-in pain.

"He's watching us, baby!" Mittens said with a smile.

"Oh, I have no doubt about that. He wouldn't miss this for anything." Bolt said laughing. Within another 5 minutes, everything was ready to go.

"Are you guys sure about this?" Joey asked

"Yep! We'll have the cameras linked up here, and watching you on the monitor. We also have a tracking chip on you two, so we'll know where you are at all times." Simone said. Even though pigeons knew where they were going, it was still know to know that they had others who knew the same thing.

"Cameras?" Kurt asked

"Check!" Simone answered looking at the screen

"Monitors?"

"Check!"

"Pigeons?"

"Check!" Joey and Vinny said simultaneously while trying not to snicker. With that, the two birds were off towards the hotel. The flight was no more than a mile from the apartment building. Soon after, they found themselves hovering above their target.

"We can see it from here!" Simone said through the speaker.

"What the…! You's guys didn't say these had speakers!" Vinny said surprised.

"Sorry about that!" Simone said

"What are we supposed to look for?" Joey asked

"Try to spot Bandit! If we find him, we may be able to spot the door to the basement. You said that's where he lives, right?" Simone asked

"I seen him go in and outta that place. It's gotta be it!" Joey said as he and Vinny continued to circle the building."

**(Somewhere else)**

"_**Hey, boss! You gotta check 'dis out!" **_said a man in front of a computer. Sure enough, here comes his boss. He was another man about the same height as his 'employee'.

"_**What is it now?" **_the boss asked

"_**Look at these pigeons." **_He said as he focused the camera in closer.

"_**So what? It's New York. They're everywhere!" **_the boss said thinking he knew what was going on, until his assistant zoomed in.

"_**No, no, no, not that! THAT!" **_the assistant said as the camera closed in on both of them as they flew past each other. It didn't take long for 'the boss' to see what the assistant saw. CAMERAS!

"_**Call Chuck! Let 'im know what's goin' on!" **_the boss ordered. The assistant rolled his chair over to the phone, and started dialing.

"_**Yo Chucky! You got two camera birds watchin' ya. Tell Sam and Bandit to be careful tonight!" **_he left on the voicemail, and hung up.

**End of Chapter**

And now…. they have trouble. With people watchin what they're doing, especially their targets; it's gonna be really interesting to stop them when they're one step ahead. I know I've been away for a while, but my internet has been down for almost a week, and it's driving me crazy. I don't know what problem is, and I know it's not gone, but when it is, you'll definitely see more of me. Until then…

Visso Gerro


	6. A Flaw in the System

It's good to be up and writing again. I know it's been quite some time since the last chapter was uploaded, and I have writer's block AND a loss of inspiration **AND **no Microsoft Word to blame for all of it. Three different problems, but three successful triumphs. And now… it's time to return.

A/N: I do not own Bolt or any of its characters. All characters are the property of Disney and its subsidiaries.

**A Flaw in the System**

Darkness had fallen upon the New York City harbor, along with a cold chill. Back at a small hotel, the basement door creaked open, allowing two dogs to traverse outside and towards the parking lot. Both seemed dead set on something. The only things to light their way to their destination were a few street lamps and the full moon.

"For bein' June, it don't feel like it." the male canine said shivering as he walked.

"No kidding." said the female. The pair walked for a good 45 minutes before reaching a large grey building encased in barbed wire and chain-link fencing. After crawling underneath a small patch of free space, the female casually walked to the front of the building with her male counterpart still struggling back at the fence. She quickly changed her coarse back to her friend.

"Easy. Don't struggle! The last time you did, the fur on your back tore." she said as she gently lifted the fence up for him to squeeze through. After he got to his feet, he found her in his face with a look of anger.

"…and then, the cops fount it!" she said with a snarl.

"You honestly think I'm gonna let that happen again?" he asked

"It only takes one screw-up." she pointed out. It was his job to stay hidden, and she knew that that one mistake might cost him his life. The two dogs walked up to the door as the conversation continued, even as they walked through the doggy door.

"Sam, don't talk to me like my boss when you're not! I've been doin' this much longer than you have, and this was the first time I messed up. I don't wanna begin to count the number of screw-ups YOU had your 1st month on the job." he said to Sam.

"Please don't bring those up…." Sam began

"I'm not going to, because I know how bad it hurts to have your mistakes thrown back at you." he said trying to get her to back off.

"I'm sorry."

"I know."

"It's just that I can't stand the thought of seeing you die." Sam said looking at him with a look of fear. He pulled her into his chest and let her just breathe heavily.

"Honey, I'm not goin' anywhere. I wouldn't leave you like that." He said as he licked her forehead.

"**Bandit! Sam! Let's go! We got work to do." **said a voice from around the corner. It was a man standing at the corner of the doorway. Bandit sighed softly.

"Can ya give us a minute, Ralph?" Bandit asked

"Bandit, I'm sorry, but this place has to be completely empty by morning, or the boss is gonna go fuckin' insane." Ralph said openly.

"Okay, let's go!" Sam said setting aside her pain to get the job done. Bandit followed her through the doorway, but stopped her before getting to work.

"Hey, I love you." Bandit said as he smiled at her.

"I love you too, honey." Sam said as she licked his face swiftly before they turned separate ways to perform their separate duties. Their job was simple: The building was full of counterfeit money, and it was their job to swap it for the real money in businesses all over the city. But moving $100 million in less than 7 hours was going to be no easy task; however, it didn't matter. It had to be done and it had to be done quickly.

"Alright everyone! You know your jobs, and you know your districts. Let's get a move on!" Ralph said as he opened the first door at exactly 1:00am.

**(Bolt and the gang)(9:30am)**

Morning rolled around very quickly for the GGE team, and no one was ready to wake up; not even Kurt as he rolled around in his chair.

"Uuuuuughh! Morning already?" Kurt said with a raspy voice as he rubbed his eyes. He cleared his throat and went to the bathroom. Bolt opened his eyes slowly and yawned as quietly as he could, trying not to wake anyone up. As he stood up to stretch, he could smell food coming from the kitchen. He followed the scent around the bar area to see Allen dishing up food.

"How long have YOU been awake?" Bolt asked

"Oh! I've been up since about 8. Simone woke me up with a little shriek earlier." Allen explained

"From what?" Bolt asked again.

"Good question. She's out in the hallway if you wanna go find out. I'm kinda curious myself." Allen answered as he set a bowl of food at Bolt's feet. Not long after finishing his food, Bolt stepped outside to find Simone sitting by the window at the end of the hallway.

"Simone." Bolt said to her, but she didn't say anything.

"Simone, what is it? What's wrong?" Bolt asked again. Simone turned around to look at Bolt, and let out a deep sigh before she spoke.

"They know we're onto them." she said simply.

"How?" Bolt asked

"I reviewed the camera footage last night, and focused in on the basement window that Joey flew past. There were 2 men down there that saw him, and the second they did, they picked up the phone to call someone. They know, which means we're gonna have to be extremely careful about covering our tracks." Simone explained to Bolt as she led him back into the room.

"Did I just hear you say that they're onto us?" Preston asked from the opening of the doorway.

"Yeah." Simone answered

"Where are the pigeons?" Preston asked again.

"They're in the bedroom with Eli and Beverly."

"Do they know?"

"No, not yet." Simone answered again. Preston sighed, knowing that they would need to take a different approach to busting their targets. Kurt walked out of the bathroom to find everyone except for Mittens awake and just staring at him.

"What?" Kurt asked as he looked at each member of the team.

"We're gonna need to change a few things around." Trigger said.

"What do you mean?" Kurt asked again.

"I played back the camera footage from last night. There were two people looking at us from the basement window. They know we're here." Simone explained again to their human leader.

"Which means that Vinny and I outta lay low." Joey said jumping into the conversation.

"Okay. So what's the plan Trigger?" Kurt asked the black lab. Trigger sat down and went into deep thought. He hadn't prepared for a Plan B, so now he was going to have to think of one on the spot.

"How much did they see?" Trigger asked Simone.

"Of the pigeons? Well, they saw the cameras." Simone answered

"True, but they don't know exactly who we are. We'll need to survey them at a safer distance; we can't be in their face all the time, or else they'll suspect even more; then, we're just giving ourselves away. One thing's for sure: the pigeons didn't lie to us. Something or someone is definitely living down there." Trigger explained.

"We told ya!" Joey said

"So, what do you suggest?" Preston asked

"I suggest that either Kurt or Allen check into the hotel with one of us…. as guests." Trigger said, knowing there would be debating.

"Trigger, you just said that they know someone's watching them." Bolt said openly.

"Yes, but they don't know exactly who. To the hotel staff and THEM, two of us checking in for a one-night stay shouldn't raise any suspicions. Plus, they think we're watching them from miles away; otherwise, we wouldn't have used pigeons to spy on them. It'll throw them off their game." Trigger continued. Kurt looked around the room, thinking to himself. It would be a good idea if no one's lives would be in danger, but he didn't want to risk it right now.

"I think we need to try something safer." Kurt said. Trigger lowered his head, not liking his idea being put down.

"If we play it safe the entire time, it'll take us longer to get the job done." Trigger said openly.

"Not necessarily. We just need to keep eyes and ears on them at all times, and we could do all of that from 200 feet away from them. But we need to find one thing in order to do that." Preston explained to the young leader, hoping he would guess what it was.

"Who their boss is?" Trigger guessed

"Well, that too; but, there's something more important. We need to find their hive; their base of operations, and I don't think that hotel was it. I think we're looking at something bigger than just a hotel basement" Preston said. He was right. For this group of criminals to spread counterfeit money all over the streets of New York, they'd need more space to put it all.

"We're looking for a big building, possibly abandoned." Trigger said thinking out loud.

"Now you're thinking like an agent." Eli said with pride.

"But then again, we're also looking in the biggest city in the U.S." Trigger said a little doubtful.

"That's what you have us for." Joey said as he and Vinny waddled towards the group.

"And me." Mittens said walking up behind Bolt.

"Hey. How long have you been awake?" Bolt asked his mate.

"Not too long." Mittens answered as she leaned against Bolt's left side, to which he just smiled at.

We need to start scanning the city." Kurt said as he looked at the group of animals and Allen. They divided themselves into teams, and began searching the area of their apartment first. Trigger and Nova stayed behind, due to a lack of tour guides; Joey was with Preston, Simone and Kurt; Vinny went with Bolt and Mittens; while Eli, Beverly and Allen were on their own. The young couple just took the opportunity to be in each other's company, figuring they wouldn't get the chance while they were in New York, they felt it right to take advantage of it.

"Trigger?" Nova said

"Mhmm?"

"Can I ask you something?" Nova asked

"Always."

"Have… have you ever thought about starting a family?" she asked subtly. Trigger looked at his mate, and smiled at the thought.

"I've thought about it more than you think." Trigger answered, causing her to smile.

"What do you think about the idea?" Nova asked again.

"I think we should wait, at least until we have more time to ourselves. We've seen your parents do it, but they also know how to manage time better than we do. But in the future…. I absolutely want to." Trigger said snuggling closer to Nova as she laid her head down on his arm. They stayed like that for some time before…

"_**Trigger, this is Eli. Do you copy?" **_muttered a voice through the white noise of the computer system.

"Uh, yeah. I hear ya! Where are you guys?" Trigger asked as he and Nova walked towards the setup of computer screens.

"_**We're about 1 ½ miles from the apartment on the corner of Brooklyn Avenue and Snyder. Can you look that up?" **_Eli asked over the feed.

"Yeah, just give me a second." Trigger said, but was stopped by Nova who was already on it. She scanned through a list on one of the computer screens, and seemed to find what she was looking for.

"I found it, Eli! Why are you at a cemetery?" Nova asked

"_**Because that's where we found a scent. It's a place called The Cemetery of the Holy Cross… and it's huge." **_Eli said.__Trigger and Nova both looked at each other and wondered what they found.

"Who?" Trigger asked

"_**It's the same scent that was on the $100 bill we found. It's canine and male." **_Beverly answered as she filled in the blanks.__

"Bandit?" Trigger asked

"_**That would be my guess. When Bolt and Mittens get back, tell them what we found. We'll meet back at the apartment in one hour, but we're gonna do a survey with Allen while we can." **_Beverly continued

"Be careful, you guys." Nova said

"_**We will, honey!" **_Beverly said disconnecting the feed. Trigger and Nova sat back as thoughts started cramming their minds. To Trigger, it made some sense. A cemetery is considered a sacred place that no one would think of finding a bunch of phony money. To Nova, it just seemed strange.

**(Eli, Beverly and Allen)**

The trio was making their way back to the apartment after notifying Trigger and Nova that they found something. They walked upwards on a fairly busy street and stopped at a local shop.

"Why are we stopping?" Eli asked

"I need to use the bathroom. I'll be back in a few." Allen said as he began to tie pair of dogs up on a street pole. All of a sudden, a man walked out of the front door to the shop and noticed Allen tying the knot.

"Oh, hello son. You know, you can bring your dogs inside if you'd like. I'm not shy." the man said with a welcoming tone. Allen shrugged his shoulders and untied the knot he'd just made, allowing Eli and Beverly to walk inside with him. As the door shut all the way, the bell on the handle jingled.

"Would you watch them for just a moment?" Allen asked the store keeper.

"Absolutely!" he said with a smile. Allen closed the door to the bathroom, leaving Eli and Beverly alone. He knew they could take care of themselves if the really had to, but the shopkeeper didn't know that. The less suspicious they appeared; the better. All they could do until Allen got back was look around. Suddenly, the man reached behind the counter for something. When his hand reappeared, Eli noticed two dog bones that were set down in front of he and Beverly, which they both ate gladly. About a minute later, Allen walked out of the bathroom feeling much better. He then walked to the counter after grabbing a soda.

"So, what are their names?" the store clerk asked

"Oh, um… The husky is Beverly, and the Ridgeback is Eli." Allen answered with a smile.

"They're beautiful animals." he said complimenting them, to which Eli made a small smile at.

"Thank you. So… have you always allowed dogs in your store?" Allen asked out of curiosity.

"I know what you're thinking: It's not sanitary! But in New York, it's nice to have a friendly aura about you and your business; even if hardly anybody sees it that way anymore. It's the same way my father did it with HIS business. And it puts a smile on people's faces. I just had a Golden Retriever come in here about 10 minutes ago…. no owner, though." the man explained. Eli and Beverly looked at each other, and realized that there WAS a fresh scent from a dog. And it was familiar…

"No owner?" Allen asked. The shopkeeper just shook his head.

"Nope, but he did leave this here." he said as he turned around to grab something off of the back counter. It was a paper-wrapped package with no markings on it.

"I don't open random packages anymore. I learned that lesson my first 2 weeks in business." he said referring to an 'incident' that happened in the past. Allen picked up the package and looked at every corner of it, looking for something that might help tell them who dropped it off. Allen suddenly felt a tug at his pant leg; it was Eli clenching his jeans with his teeth.

"What?" Allen asked. Eli motioned his head to follow him and Beverly outside. Something was wrong.

"Um, would you mind if I took this with me?" Allen asked the man, referring to the package.

"Take it! Whoever you work for; leave me out of It." the man said, leaving Allen to just walk out the door after his 'pets'. The store owner watched Allen as he exited his establishment, contemplating whether or not to call the police. His conscience told him to stay away the first time, and that was his decision in the end. It wasn't his business anyway.

**(Back outside)**

"What's in there?" Eli said as Allen bent down to open the package in front of the entire group. As he tore the first of the paper, he noticed green… And a lot of it! It was money! It was wrapped money. $40,000 worth! Eli and Beverly's eyes went wide as they stared at a huge piece of their puzzle.

"I'll bet that soda you just bought it's all fake." Eli said. Beverly nodded at the comment, not taking her eyes off of the money. Eli moved his head to the side after catching a whiff of something… something familiar. He soon moved his nose back to the money and gave it a quick sniff before…

"He's close." Eli said making a run down a random street.

"ELI!" Beverly shouted as she chased after her mate. Not wanting to lose them, Allen followed them on 2 feet as fast as he could. Eli's adrenaline kicked into gear as he ran as fast as he could, not wanting to lose the fresh aroma. Beverly stayed close behind, but still tried to stay within sight of Allen. Eli darted around a sharp corner before entering a gloomy alleyway. He could see the end of the street and the opening onto the main avenue, which kept his legs moving. Beverly watched as he made another corner around a brick building. Her sides were starting to ache from running so fast, but she continued to follow him around the same corner. Suddenly, she was stopped by his paw reaching out and pulling her underneath a parked car. She turned her head in every direction before looking at her mate, whose eyes were fixated on a large granite structure in the middle of a field; specifically, the same cemetery they just left. They saw what looked like a large brown dog walking inside one of the tombs with the door shutting slowly behind him. Feeling satisfied with the results of the run, Beverly collapsed on her stomach, trying to catch her breath for a few seconds before Eli crawled next to her.

"I'm sorry. I couldn't lose it." Eli said nuzzling her neck.

"It's okay. Just give us a little warning next time so we can keep up better." Beverly said

"Right! Where's Allen?" Eli asked as he looked around from underneath the sedan.

"_**Right here!" **_Allen said bending over near the front of the vehicle. Eli and Beverly crawled out from the dark and into view, where their human partner was waiting.

"What was that about?" Allen asked

"I caught the dog's scent. It came back here." Eli said looking at the cemetery. The three of them walked across the street as casually as possible, and stood at the edge of the graveyard.

"I don't see anyone." Beverly said as she looked around.

"I do." Eli said as he focused his vision on a figure walking along the other side of the cemetery fence. It was about 200 feet away, but he saw it perfectly.

"It's another dog." Eli said as he and Beverly crawled around the fence to the corner of the street, and watched the mysterious canine walk along with sidewalk. He had a pack on each side of his waist, and walked as casual as possible.

"I'll give you 3 guesses as to what's in those packs." Eli said

"Is that the same dog?" Allen asked

"No, this is a different one. I think it's Bandit. He's a white shepherd."

"Should we follow him?" Beverly asked

"No. We don't have the man power… or dog power, in our case. We need to come back when we have more help, and maybe when it's dark. Less people means less eyes watching us." Allen said holding Eli back. The Ridgeback sighed, feeling defeated. He'd caught the scent, but couldn't do anything with it.

"Hey! We found the entrance; thanks to you. Don't beat yourself up over not getting to follow him." Beverly said giving her mate a quick nuzzle, to which he grinned.

"I wish we could go down there." Eli said still frustrated.

"You'll have your chance, baby." Beverly said with a face lick to follow. Allen decided to lead the canine couple back to the apartment for some rest. They had a new lead now, along with one hell of a story.

**End of Chapter**

Whoa! I got so into writing this chapter. The first 2 pages took me almost 3 days; while the rest took me about an hour. It was one of those rare occasions where your brain takes over your fingers, and they type for you. As some of you have also noticed, I started another 'Over the Hedge' story. So, if you wanna read something else of me besides what I put on the 'Bolt' page, give it a read! This also means that my updates between my stories may be spaced a little further than usual. If I can do one chapter for one story, and then switch with ease; I'm doing well. So, I'll see you guys soon with another update.

Visso Gerro!


	7. Get A Clue

I'm very well aware at how long it's been since I last updated. I was in the midst of promotion at my job, along with writing a one-shot for fellow Fanfiction writer: 1dchouseman. I've also been writing a furry book, which I hope to finish within the next 6 months. But I'm finally back, and ready to write again. However, there's gonna be a few changes to my writing, and one of them is that the spacing of the chapters will most likely be longer than anticipated. If you'll just bear with me, I'll finish this story, along with my OTH story as well. Thanks for your patience everyone!

A/N: I do not own Bolt or any of its characters. All characters are the property of Disney and its subsidiaries.

**Get a Clue**

**(2 hours later)**

After making it back to the apartment, Eli and Beverly told the rest of the group what had occurred on their wild goose chase across part of NYC. They also mentioned the entrance in the cemetery they'd found, even if it did them no good at the moment. Soon afterwards, Bolt and Mittens returned with Kurt, and heard the same story. Eli also mentioned one more thing that caught Bolt's attention…

"You saw him?" Bolt asked getting somewhat excited.

"Yeah, we saw your dad!" Eli answered with a smile.

"Oh My God!" Bolt said walking around in shock, like he was meeting a celebrity.

"So, now what?" Mittens asked

"Now…. we wait! We can't really do much until it gets dark." Beverly answered. All of a sudden, they heard a knock at the door. Every animal in the apartment froze in place.

"To the bedroom!" Kurt whispered to the group, while he and Allen stayed out in the living room. After the door to the bedroom was closed, Bolt and Preston placed their ears against the wall to listen for who it might be. Allen opened the door as casually as possible to find a less than thrilled face: An officer

"Can we help you, officer?" Allen asked

"Hopefully. We've had a few calls of suspicious activity in this area involving a number of large dogs. Do you know anything about this?" the officer asked

"What kind of suspicious activity?" Kurt asked walking into view. As soon as the officer saw Kurt, he seemed a little confused.

"Sir, you look very familiar. Have I seen you before?" the officer asked again.

"Probably. Kurt Gracin!" Kurt said extending his hand to shake that of the officer's, which he kindly obliged and shook back.

"Now it rings a bell! Gracin Genetic Enhancements, right?"

"Correct!"

"Do you have any dogs in this apartment, sir? Because you'd be violating this complex's housing laws."

"Actually, no. Not this time! I'm in town doing a small convention, but I don't have any of my animals with me. They're staying at the convention center." Kurt said with a convincing story.

"Okay. Would you mind if I came inside, and took a look around?"

"Not at all!" Kurt said stepping aside, and letting the cop in the apartment. From inside the bedroom, Preston could hear the entire conversation.

"We need to hide!" Preston whispered turning to the group.

"Where?" Bolt asked

"Um…. the closet!" Preston said as he and the rest of the gang quietly made their way to the closet on the other side of the room.

"What are WE supposed to do?" Joey asked from the window, where he and Vinny were perched.

"Just… stay by the window." Preston said before frantically throwing himself into the closet, where he was able to shut the door just as the cop turned the door handle and enter the room. After a few seconds of just wandering around with Kurt and Allen waiting patiently in the hallway, the officer focused his attention on the closet, and walked towards it. He was about to grab the handle, when suddenly….

"Get outta here?" Allen shouted as he walked into the room, and towards the open window, where Joey and Vinny were sitting. The two pigeons flew to the top of the window, and waited there to figure out what was going on. The ruckus was enough to make the officer jump back, having never gotten the chance to see the inside of the closet, much to Kurt and Allen's relief.

"Well, uh… Is that everything, officer?" Allen asked as he shut the window. The cop looked around the room one more time before answering.

"Just let me check the other bedroom, and I'll be on my way." said the officer as he stepped out of the room, and within another 5 minutes, he was gone. After breathing a huge sigh of relief, Kurt walked into the bedroom and opened up the closet door.

"Whoooaaa!" Preston shouted as he Simone, Eli, Beverly, Bolt, Mittens, Trigger and Nova fell to the carpet floor. As Preston crawled free from the 'dogpile', he walked to the window, and placed his two front feet on the ledge.

"Allen, open the window!" Preston ordered, to which Allen obliged. Joey and Vinny sat at the top of the window sill.

"Sorry guys! We had a… situation we needed to handle." Allen said ushering the birds back inside.

**(Outside the Building)**

"Hey, Ralph! It's D'Amico! The apartment's clear! Not a trace of a dog anywhere in sight!" said the 'officer' in full uniform over his earpiece, who by now was walking down the avenue, and pulling parts of his disguise off.

"**Thanks, D! Just tap the stone when you get back!" **said Ralph in response. The impersonator continued his stroll down the street as if everything was just fine.

**(The Apartment Complex)**

"What was that all about?" Bolt asked

"I don't know. Maybe one of the other tenants tipped off the landlords. I thought you said they wouldn't care, Kurt!" Trigger asked

"Well, I've been wrong before. So, now that's one MORE thing we're gonna have to be careful of. For now, we need to scope out the area some more. We won't go to the cemetery until nightfall, but it couldn't hurt to check everywhere else." Kurt explained

"Kurt, this city is 20 million strong." Eli said

"I know, but we have to start somewhere." Kurt said filing each of the animals into the same groups they were in last time. Only this time, Bolt and Mittens would stay behind while Trigger and Nova to a round with Kurt. The pigeons decided to stay behind too, just because they wasn't a real need for them until the sun went down. The peace and quiet of the apartment seemed to be a bit of a sanctuary for the dog and cat couple, even if the city was right outside their window. They rested on the couch while Joey and Vinny flew in to join them.

"So, uh… about you's two! When exactly did it happen?" Joey asked

"What? You mean Mittens and I?" Bolt asked

"Yeah."

"I don't know, I guess…. I guess it took us a little less than a week to get back to California. After that, she just came to live with us. And… yeah, there really isn't much to tell." Bolt tried to explain.

"Huh! So, which one of the dogs is your kid?" Joey asked

"Oh, that's Nova: The all-white husky. Technically, she's Eli and Beverly's daughter, but we adopted her."

'Man, it's been so long since we talked, I guess a lot has changed. Mittens!" Joey said getting the calico cat's attention.

"I'm… I'm sorry for… ya know… sellin' ya out to Bolt, here!" Joey said in the best way he could. It had obviously been awhile since he'd apologized for anything, and Mittens could see it; however, it didn't shock her any less.

"Wh-wait! What did you just say?" Mittens asked with her ears wide open this time.

"I'm sorry, okay. Forgive me if I don't got a lot of practice doing this! I never thought I'd ever see you again, so I thought it didn't matter. And in a way, I guess you did help us…. I… I don't know what more I can say." Joey finished. Mittens just leaned up against Bolt, and tried to take in what was happening. Joey had the courage to apologize for everything he did that led her to get catnapped by Bolt. But at the same time, she was thankful that he did what he did, because if he hadn't she'd still be scavenging the streets and trying to survive. She wouldn't have a new home with a new family. But most of all, she wouldn't have Bolt! It was a moment of realization for her that she had to face eventually. She just expected it to be more painful.

"There's nothing to forgive, guys! If anything, I should be apologizing to YOU. I made your lives a living hell…. and I'm sorry!" Mittens said. Even though she wasn't showing too much emotion, Bolt could tell that she was feeling a little guilty. Inside, she wasn't happy with herself, but after living with Bolt long enough, she realized how much easier it was NOT to be mad at someone.

"Thanks cat!" Joey said with a smile.

"Same to you!" Mittens said with a small nod.

"Uh, Mittens. Can I talk to you for a second?" Bolt asked from right behind her

"Yeah." Mittens answered in a monotone voice as she got up and walked to the bedroom, with Bolt following her.

"We'll be right back, guys!" Bolt said as he turned around briefly to face the pigeons.

"We'll be here!" Joey said. Bolt entered the bedroom and closed the door with his hind leg.

"Baby, what's wrong?" Bolt asked as he stared at his mate.

"I was such an idiot. For the last 3 years, I've practically been hiding from them, when I could've made it right before then. Joey and Vinny, and even Ronaldo….. aren't so bad after all. I just wish it hadn't taken me so long to realize that." Mittens said

"Don't beat yourself up over this. You did what you had to do to stay alive back then, and as far as I'm concerned; they obviously don't care anymore…. Why should you?" Bolt asked with a smile on his face. She continued to stare at the carpet before Bolt pulled her face up with his muzzle, still smiling.

"You're right, but I…"

"No buts. You knew coming back here to New York was gonna be interesting, but it's all working out for the better." Bolt explained.

"…okay. Thanks!" Mittens said happily.

"You're welcome!" Bolt said snickering as he pulled his mate in for a kiss.

**(Out and About)**

Eli and Beverly continued to walk the neighboring streets in search of anything that would help in their investigation. They did their best to avoid going too close to the cemetery, and instead, stayed about 3 streets away from it. They had a decent view of it, but they looked less conspicuous. After stopping at a small park not far from the apartment complex, there wasn't much else to see.

"Allen, I'm running out of places to look." Beverly said quietly, being around other people.

"Yeah, it's been about 2 hours. We should probably head back." Allen said beginning their trek back to the apartment. Eli was tapping at his collar as they started back.

"Bolt, can you hear me?" Eli asked through the communicator. After a few seconds of silence, he heard nothing, until….

"**I hear ya loud and clear!" **Bolt said from the other end of the line.

"We're on our way back."

"**Okay. We'll see ya soon!" **Bolt said before the line connection ended. Eli, Beverly and Allen continued to walk along the crowded streets of Brooklyn, wondering how so many people could live in a city with no breathing room. Allen had eventually had enough of the over-populated crowd, and took Eli and Beverly away from the sidewalk and towards a less claustrophobic side of the street.

"This city is nuts!" Allen said with a little frustration.

"Yeah, and this ain't even downtown NYC!" Eli stated, causing all of them to stop and think about the stampede of the inner city. Like clockwork they all shrieked at the thought.

"No thank you!" Beverly said before they started up again. It wasn't long at all before they came across the same corner store that the package had been dropped off at.

"Hey, who wants to go visit our old friend?" Allen asked sarcastically.

"Heck yes! I want another biscuit!" Eli said, causing Beverly to snort in laugher. The three of them walked across the street and through the same jingling door, where they saw the same man from the prior day standing at the counter.

"How's it goin'?" Allen asked. The man looked at Allen, and instantly became defensive.

"It's you!" he said backing away slowly. Allen stopped where he stood.

"Uh, yeah. You remember me from yesterday? If not, you gotta at least remember these two." Allen said as he motioned Eli and Beverly forward.

"Tch! Yeah, I remember. You're the ones who stole my money." the shopkeeper said, getting agitated. Allen looked at the man in complete confusion, while Eli looked at Beverly with the same expression.

"Excuse me?" Allen asked again.

"You came by…. and…. and the next thing I know, I take a look in my safe and my money's missing." he said still aggravated.

"Sir, we didn't take anything from you… except for the package you…." Allen began before being hit with a mental facepalm.

"The package!" Allen said looking down at Eli.

"It was switched!" said Eli. No more than half a second after Eli spoke, he covered his mouth with his paw, but it was too late. The shopkeeper just witnessed a speaking animal.

"WHAT THE HELL?" he said jumping back in fear and falling to the ground. Allen walked to the man to help him up.

"NO! Get away from me! Get outta my store, NOW!" he said angrily. All Allen did was back away, not willing to leave the store until he had explained himself.

"If you'll just let me explain, I might be able to help you get that money back!" Allen offered as he pointed to the register. The man stayed on the ground momentarily looking back at Allen and then at Eli and Beverly. He was still frightened beyond comprehension, and knew that at the moment, he couldn't fully trust them; however, it may have been the only way to get his money back. Very slowly, the lad stood up…

"Fine!" the man said simply. Eli let out a deep sigh of relief, as if he'd been holding his breath through the entire 'standoff'.

"Thank you. First, allow me to introduce myself. My name is Allen Dubois. I work for a technology company called Gracin Genetic Enhancements. This is Eli and Beverly… and they are both able to talk, run at super-speed, are completely resistant to manmade bullets, along with many other things… We came to New York City from LA in search of a person or persons who've been counterfeiting money in this town for some time." Allen began explaining while showing the man his company badge.

"Pssh! Join the club! This entire metropolitan area's been flooded with phony money for almost a year." the shopkeeper interjected. Now, more confusion had set in.

"Um… Mr. Gracin's money only started going missing recently." Beverly mentioned

"Oh please! That's just one company! I bet you the same guys YOU'RE after are the same guys the COPS have been after for 10 months." he said again

"This isn't new news?" Allen asked. The shopkeeper slightly scoffed before speaking again.

"You haven't lived in New York City long enough to know what all goes on here. I was just hoping I'd be one of the people unaffected by the whole counterfeit spree, but I guess I was wrong." he said in somewhat of a sulk, and really; who could blame him? He was out quite a bit of money, and felt helpless.

"I…I'm sorry. I have to ask because I feel bad, but… what's your name?" Allen asked

"Oscar Nielson." The man said extending his hand, now that he felt he could trust the threesome standing in his store. Allen gladly accepted the gesture and smiled.

"Again, I apologize for the misunderstanding; but, we may still be able to help. That package you gave us last time we were here… it was full of money." Allen said dreading Oscar's reaction.

"What?"

"Yeah. $40,000.

"Oh My God! That's way more than I had that went missing."

"I would guess they were giving extra because they didn't know the exact amount and wanted to cover their tracks with a bonus."

"So… can I have it back then?" Oscar asked opening his hand.

"No, because it's fake. We found another $100 bill earlier this week with the same maker's marks. That lab dropped off the package, and somehow got into your safe to take the real stuff… Wait! Where IS your safe, anyway?" Allen asked

"Oh, it's behind the counter; right underneath the register." Oscar answered leading the group around the corner of the counter.

"That's pretty easily accessible." Beverly said

"And unfortunately, I always have it open when I'm behind the counter. It's so much easier to break a roll of quarters when you don't have to dial a combination. Any other time I'm away from the counter, it's locked." he explained

"Alright! Now, we have a lead!" Eli said in excitement.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! Slow down, honey. Yes, we have a lead, but it doesn't really help us right now, other than the fact that this problem is bigger than just us." Beverly stated.

"Maybe it does. There're other companies that have been affected by it. Maybe we should focus more on them. And we're still looking for some kind of abandoned building, right? So, if we narrow down the companies with any and all abandoned buildings big enough to house a lot of cash, we've cut down about 99.9% of all places here in this city…. OH MY GOD! It feels good to be back!" Eli said happily, getting back the adrenaline rush from chasing down bad guys. It made Beverly laugh a little.

"Uh… did I miss something?" Oscar asked

"Oh, sorry! We retired from the agency a couple of years ago, and they brought us back to help solve this case." Beverly explained

"Mr. Nielson…..we will be in touch. If anyone or anyDOG walks in here unattended, call me immediately!" Allen said handing Oscar a piece of paper with his phone number.

"You got it!' Oscar said with a small nod.

"And I'm gonna do everything in my power to get your money back to you." Allen said again

"Thank you, son!" With that, Eli, Beverly, and Allen all left the store with their blood pumping at a rate some would say too fast for their own good, but they'd finally made progress. They were getting somewhere. They were one step closer to catching their target.

**End of Chapter**

FINALLY! It's been too damn long since my last update, and I believe I've deciphered why. It's because I have internet. When I was still writing like crazy, internet wasn't always readily available for an update, which meant more time to write or perfect a chapter before it was posted. That and the internet is ADDICTING! I'm on Facebook probably 4 times a day, I play online poker way more than I should, and YouTube has become my new best friend. But fear not, my followers! (However many of them I have left, that is!) I'm still alive, and still writing. As for the update from this, I honestly just don't know. It could be a week; it could be a month. I just have no idea. But thank you all for being so patient with me and my slacking! This story WILL be finished, and I WILL be the one to do it!

Visso Gerro!


End file.
